{"id":77221,"date":"2025-03-17T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?p=77221"},"modified":"2025-09-16T09:46:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T13:46:14","slug":"the-bold-the-autocratic-12-women-in-politics-to-watch-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/the-bold-the-autocratic-12-women-in-politics-to-watch-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bold &amp; The Autocratic: 12 Women in Politics to Watch in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"799\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-77224\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez.jpg 799w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez-90x60.jpg 90w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of several influential women in politics we&#8217;re keeping an eye on. (Credit: nrkbeta, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/nrkbeta\/46438135835\">Flickr<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Women continue to <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/for-her-elections-arent-about-winning-theyre-about-building\/\">build movements<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/women-arent-running-for-office-like-they-used-to-the-reason-makes-perfect-sense\/\">run for office<\/a> \u2013 even as our society makes it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/08\/11\/politics\/women-candidates-congress-election-dg\/index.html\">tougher than ever<\/a> to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Progress hasn\u2019t stalled everywhere in terms of representation for women in elected office. Women candidates are making historic gains <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/women-governors-set-to-hit-record-levels-in-2025\/\">at state levels<\/a>, although our federal government now has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/01\/01\/politics\/women-politics-2024-election-dg\/index.html\">fewer women<\/a> overall than it did before. And <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/republican-women-chosen-lead-house-committees-time-decades\/story?id=116764680\">only one woman<\/a> will chair a House committee. As we also know, the number of women isn\u2019t all that matters \u2013 who those women are, and what they aim to do, is important, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether or not you know these names \u2013 or align with their values \u2013 the women listed below are poised to make big political waves in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_d6f31e4c0df1f8ffcc60c74b82186c22\" class=\"wp-block related-post alignwide\">\n      <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"section-title\">\n      <h4>Related<\/h4>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"post-wrap\">\n              <div class=\"thumbnail\">\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/we-asked-5-women-candidates-why-should-more-women-run-for-office\/\" class=\"post-image-link\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Women-Candidates-Election-Voting-Running-for-Office-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Women-Candidates-Election-Voting-Running-for-Office\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Women-Candidates-Election-Voting-Running-for-Office-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Women-Candidates-Election-Voting-Running-for-Office-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Women-Candidates-Election-Voting-Running-for-Office-84x84.jpg 84w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Women-Candidates-Election-Voting-Running-for-Office-45x45.jpg 45w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"entry-text\">\n          <h3 class=\"post-title\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/we-asked-5-women-candidates-why-should-more-women-run-for-office\/\">\n              We Asked 5 Women Candidates: Why Should More Women Run for Office?\n            <\/a>\n          <\/h3>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n<div id=\"block_6cc32ce97f870f6057cc72b36bec7b89\" class=\"wp-block listicle alignwide\">\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">1<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Sarah-McBride.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Sarah McBride<\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>U.S. Representative from Delaware<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 McBride <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/3-historic-bright-spots-amid-the-darkness-of-election-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">made history<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> last November as the first openly transgender person ever to be elected to U.S. Congress. And she is facing no small amount of backlash for it \u2013 most notably from her colleagues, who <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/video\/house-hearing-abruptly-ends-after-dispute-involving-republican-transgender-lawmaker-3c5b8d8699f143e18a5d7f668e250764\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">misgender her publicly<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, among other microaggressions. But she\u2019s refusing to back down, instead opting to negate the disrespect head-on, while working to make progress on her priority issues: Healthcare access and stronger schools.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">2<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Nancy-Mace.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Nancy Mace<\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>U.S. Representative from South Carolina<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 On the other side of the coin is Mace, who has made headlines in recent months for being among those who <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2024\/11\/20\/nx-s1-5196449\/house-republican-rep-nancy-mace-introduces-transgender-bathroom-bill\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">attacked McBride<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for being trans. She is also trading on fear-based xenophobia to get inflammatory <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/house\/5090003-nancy-mace-immigration-bill-democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">immigration legislation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> passed into law. Her headline-grabbing antics <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postandcourier.com\/politics\/poll-mace-high-name-id-early-sc-gov-race\/article_c0776cba-fe88-11ef-b51a-ef6c88868167.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have experts speculating<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about a run to be the next governor of the Palmetto State.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">3<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Pam-Bondi.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Pam Bondi<\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>Current U.S. Attorney General<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Prior to assuming control of the U.S. Department of Justice, Bondi was a defense lawyer for President Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial. Last year, she also led the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute. Before that, she was the attorney general of Florida from 2011 to 2019. She was the first woman to ever assume the role \u2013 and she used that power to, among other things, oppose gay marriage. <\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">4<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Gretchen-Whitmer.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Gretchen Whitmer<\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>Governor of Michigan<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 The Democratic governor of the Wolverine State <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.freep.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/03\/13\/whitmer-blasts-trumps-tariffs-education-department-cuts\/82322174007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has been increasingly vocal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about her disapproval of Trump\u2019s acts, after <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/gretchen-whitmer-i-want-find-common-ground-donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">initially extending<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a collaborative hand, taking him to task recently over tariffs and education cutbacks. In Michigan, she\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigan.gov\/whitmer\/issues\/accomplishments\/signature-accomplishments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">been focused<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on job creation, infrastructure updates and healthcare access. Term limits prohibit her from running for re-election in 2026 \u2013 but there\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michiganpublic.org\/politics-government\/2025-01-15\/michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer-a-potential-2028-candidate-wants-to-find-common-ground-with-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">speculation of a 2028 presidential run<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">5<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Lisa-Blunt-Rochester.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Lisa Blunt Rochester<\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>Junior U.S. Senator from Delaware<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Prior to her current role, she served as the U.S. representative for Delaware&#8217;s at-large congressional district. She\u2019s both the first woman, and first Black person, to represent Delaware in both chambers of Congress. With that platform, she\u2019s trying to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coastalpoint.com\/news\/blunt-rochester-calls-for-answers-on-postponement-of-vaccine-committee-meeting\/article_8e0be254-feb2-11ef-aad0-834abaa42227.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">preserve vaccine access<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hagerty.senate.gov\/press-releases\/2025\/02\/19\/hagerty-blunt-rochester-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-modernize-credit-union-boards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">protect credit unions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 because, as she said in a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/6abc.com\/post\/breaking-barriers-making-history-us-sen-lisa-blunt-rochester-delaware-gets-candid\/15903297\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recent interview<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, her work is \u201cnot about making history; it&#8217;s about making a difference in people&#8217;s lives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">6<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Tammy-Bruce.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Tammy Bruce<\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>Spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of State <\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 The radio host and author wasn\u2019t always a Trump mouthpiece. In the 1990s, she served as head of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women, and made history as the first openly gay woman to host a mainstream talk radio show in the U.S. But as the years went on, she became increasingly conservative, taking to the airwaves to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.them.us\/story\/right-wing-anti-woke-lesbian-tammy-bruce-state-department-spokesperson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">push back in<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> culture wars such as LGBTQ-inclusive advertising and pronoun questions on information forms.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">7<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Marie-Gluesenkamp-Perez.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Marie Gluesenkamp Perez<\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>U.S. Representative from Washington <\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 Perez\u00a0 garnered national attention for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/11\/08\/us\/politics\/marie-gluesenkamp-perez-interview.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">winning in a rural district<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that firmly supported Trump. The automotive shop owner campaigned, in part, on a message that criticized fellow Democrats for failing to speak effectively to working-class voters. \u201cThe fundamental mistake people make is condescension,\u201d she told The New York Times. Her term has been a mixed bag of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gluesenkampperez.house.gov\/posts\/gluesenkamp-perez-james-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-support-veteran-families-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">proposing legislation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that protects veterans\u2019 healthcare access, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kgw.com\/article\/news\/politics\/national-politics\/marie-gluesenkamp-perez-votes-censure-al-green\/283-81fabc1b-896f-46e9-bcb2-2a1a8b3f2bc7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">voting to censure<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Texas Rep. Al Green for his protest of Trump\u2019s recent congressional address.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">8<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Tishaura-Jones.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Tishaura Jones<\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>Mayor of St. Louis<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 The Democratic politician has long served her city \u2013 as Democratic Committeewoman of the 8th Ward; as the first Black woman to serve as assistant minority floor leader in the Missouri House of Representatives; and as the first Black woman treasurer of St. Louis. Over the years, she spearheaded the creation of the city\u2019s Office of Financial Empowerment, lobbied for reparations for Black citizens, and spoke out in support of abortion access. She\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.higherheightsforamericapac.org\/candidate\/tishaura-jones-reelection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">been endorsed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for re-election (St. Louis&#8217; mayoral election is in April) by progressive Black women\u2019s PAC Higher Heights.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">9<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Justice-Christine-Donohue-525x277.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Christine Donohue<\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 After an almost-30-year career in personal injury and commercial litigation, Donahue was elected to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. In 2015, she was elected as a justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and has been presiding over the purple state in that capacity ever since. Now, the Democratic judge is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wesa.fm\/politics-government\/2024-12-23\/pennsylvania-supreme-court-retention-political-fight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">facing re-election<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in April in an especially contentious election \u2013 the results of which, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/penncapital-star.com\/campaigns-elections\/with-three-seats-on-the-ballot-this-years-state-supreme-court-race-may-be-a-different-animal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">experts say<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, could shape the battleground\u2019s court composition for years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">10<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Abigail-Spanberger.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Abigail Spanberger <\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>Former U.S. Representative from Virginia<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 She\u2019s currently running for governor of Virginia \u2013 and so far, she\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/virginiamercury.com\/2025\/02\/25\/spanberger-opens-double-digit-lead-over-earle-sears-in-new-poll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">polling well<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If she wins, she\u2019ll be the state\u2019s first woman to hold the post. Before that, she was an intelligence officer, then a representative of Virginia&#8217;s 7th congressional district. While in the House, she was an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2019\/09\/24\/seven-freshman-democrats-these-allegations-are-threat-all-we-have-sworn-protect\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">early voice<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the call for Trump\u2019s impeachment during his first term in office; and a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/06\/02\/us\/politics\/trump-congress-protesters-tear-gas.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">loud critic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of his militaristic, opportunistic response to Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020. <\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">11<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Deb-Haaland.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Deb Haaland<\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>Gubernatorial candidate in New Mexico<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Haaland, the former Congressperson and Secretary of the Interior, would be the first Native American woman governor in U.S. history, if she\u2019s elected to the office next year. In her <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/deb-haaland-announces-run-for-governor-of-new-mexico\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">past positions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of power, she helped minority entrepreneurs launch small businesses, promoted solar energy use and enacted water protection measures, among other efforts. Now, she aims to bring that energy home. \u201cThe problems we face now are bigger than ever \u2013 and we must be fierce to solve them,\u201d she stated in her campaign launch video.<\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"row\">\n                  <div class=\"col-md-6 photo\">\n            <div class=\"number\">12<\/div>\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez-525x350.jpg\"\/>\n                          <p class=\"caption\">Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (Credit: nrkbeta, Flickr)<\/p>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-md-6 text\">\n          <h2>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez<\/h2>\n          <p><b><i>U.S Representative for New York<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 The progressive legislator from the Big Apple has been a woman to watch for years. Outspoken, eloquent and social-media savvy, Ocasio-Cortez has been driving political conversations (and proposing landmark legislation like the Green New Deal) ever since first winning her post in 2018. So far during the second Trump administration, she\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/post\/192558\/aoc-ocasio-cortez-arrest-palestinian-activist-mahmoud-khalil\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">only gotten louder<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on the progressive values she holds dear. <\/span><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_cfba43d4cc0cabefa723b6b92ec2d438\" class=\"wp-block related-post alignwide\">\n      <div class=\"wrap\">\n    <div class=\"section-title\">\n      <h4>Related<\/h4>\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"post-wrap\">\n              <div class=\"thumbnail\">\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/saving-democracy-one-campaign-at-a-time-including-her-own\/\" class=\"post-image-link\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Rep-Leanne-Krueger-Woman-Candidate-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Rep-Leanne-Krueger-Woman-Candidate\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Rep-Leanne-Krueger-Woman-Candidate-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Rep-Leanne-Krueger-Woman-Candidate-96x96.jpg 96w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Rep-Leanne-Krueger-Woman-Candidate-84x84.jpg 84w, https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Rep-Leanne-Krueger-Woman-Candidate-45x45.jpg 45w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"entry-text\">\n          <h3 class=\"post-title\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/saving-democracy-one-campaign-at-a-time-including-her-own\/\">\n              Saving Democracy, One Campaign at a Time \u2013 Including Her Own\n            <\/a>\n          <\/h3>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;ve rounded up a list of women, from seasoned elected officials to up-and-comers, to keep an eye on this year \u2013 be they progressive role models, or regressive change agents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":77224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of several influential women in politics we're keeping an eye on.","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:l2n6ydtigm3gtra4vb4rfl7f","date":"2025-03-17T12:42:30+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:l2n6ydtigm3gtra4vb4rfl7f\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3lkl6jklts22e","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:l2n6ydtigm3gtra4vb4rfl7f\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3lkl6jklts22e\",\"cid\":\"bafyreihfzbjohgcdf34vshvr7ldqswwmptsuiyyif6hmm4hdvrsknzv2km\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreidbht2eczb3kr3i43ekhcvev6apsntbb3ffcj3qjcoxruh5mipq5e\",\"rev\":\"3lkl6jkm3m22e\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[187],"tags":[19526,21365,19725,19652],"class_list":["post-77221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-latinx-women","tag-political-movements","tag-representation","tag-women-in-politics"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.3 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A List of Women Politicians to Watch in 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We&#039;ve rounded up a list of women to keep an eye on this year \u2013 be they progressive role models, or regressive change agents.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/the-bold-the-autocratic-12-women-in-politics-to-watch-in-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Bold &amp; The Autocratic: 12 Women in Politics to Watch in 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We&#039;ve rounded up a list of women, from seasoned elected officials to up-and-comers, to keep an eye on this year \u2013 be they progressive role models, or regressive change agents.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/the-bold-the-autocratic-12-women-in-politics-to-watch-in-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Story Exchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheStoryExchange\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-17T12:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-16T13:46:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"799\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"533\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Candice Helfand-Rogers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@TheStoryXchange\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@TheStoryXchange\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Candice Helfand-Rogers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A List of Women Politicians to Watch in 2025","description":"We've rounded up a list of women to keep an eye on this year \u2013 be they progressive role models, or regressive change agents.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/the-bold-the-autocratic-12-women-in-politics-to-watch-in-2025\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Bold &amp; The Autocratic: 12 Women in Politics to Watch in 2025","og_description":"We've rounded up a list of women, from seasoned elected officials to up-and-comers, to keep an eye on this year \u2013 be they progressive role models, or regressive change agents.","og_url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/the-bold-the-autocratic-12-women-in-politics-to-watch-in-2025\/","og_site_name":"The Story Exchange","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheStoryExchange","article_published_time":"2025-03-17T12:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-16T13:46:14+00:00","og_image":[{"width":799,"height":533,"url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@TheStoryXchange","twitter_site":"@TheStoryXchange","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/the-bold-the-autocratic-12-women-in-politics-to-watch-in-2025\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/the-bold-the-autocratic-12-women-in-politics-to-watch-in-2025\/"},"author":{"name":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/person\/f5204a83b27f87166174a6de31eaafc9"},"headline":"The Bold &amp; 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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (Credit: nrkbeta, Flickr)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/the-bold-the-autocratic-12-women-in-politics-to-watch-in-2025\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Bold &amp; The Autocratic: 12 Women in Politics to Watch in 2025"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/","name":"The Story Exchange","description":"Inspiration and information for women entrepreneurs","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#organization","name":"The Story Exchange","url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cdn1.thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/24161459\/TSE-logo-web-e1525383604615.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cdn1.thestoryexchange.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/24161459\/TSE-logo-web-e1525383604615.png","width":500,"height":180,"caption":"The Story Exchange"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TheStoryExchange","https:\/\/x.com\/TheStoryXchange","https:\/\/instagram.com\/thestoryexchange\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/the-story-exchange","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/StoryExchange"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/#\/schema\/person\/f5204a83b27f87166174a6de31eaafc9","name":"Candice Helfand-Rogers","description":"Candice Helfand-Rogers has worked as a journalist for some of the largest news organizations in the country over the course of her career, including CBS Local News and The Star-Ledger. She earned her B.A. in Journalism &amp; Media Studies at Rutgers University. In her spare time, she enjoys singing with several ensembles in New York City and spending time with her son. Please contact candice@thestoryexchange.org with questions or pitches.","sameAs":["https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/author\/candice-leigh-helfand\/"],"url":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/author\/candice-leigh-helfand\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77221"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77244,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77221\/revisions\/77244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestoryexchange.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}