In January, twelve new senators-elect are expected to take office and join the 119th Congress. Though some have yet to announce their positions and plans regarding education and workforce development, many have outlined priorities and interests in CTE they intend to pursue. Many have also served in federal, state and local government offices, providing us insights into what they might seek to accomplish as Senators. Keep reading for more details on who they are and what we know so far about their platforms to inform your advocacy next year!
- Senator-elect Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)
Rep. Ruben Gallego ran to fill the open Senate seat following Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s retirement announcement. He currently represents Arizona’s 3rd District in the House of Representatives.
Rep. Gallego has been vocal on several education issues including chronic absenteeism and funding for programs like Head Start. He also introduced the Teachers LEAD Act in the House to establish a grant program to support and improve teacher retention.
- Senator-elect Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Rep. Adam Schiff currently represents California’s 30th District in the House of Representatives. This seat he will be filling in the Senate is currently occupied by Sen. Laphonza Bulter, who was appointed after Sen. Dianne Feinstein passed away in 2023 and decided not to run for reelection.
Rep. Schiff has previously worked on the accessibility and affordability of higher education and is an avid supporter of student loan forgiveness. Schiff has also supported funding increases for programs created by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). He is currently a member of the House CTE Caucus and has sponsored legislation to support CTE including the Clean Energy Workforce Act to, “develop career and technical education programs of study and facilities in the areas of renewable energy.”
- Senator-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE)
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is currently serving as a congresswoman for Delaware At-Large and ran to fill the vacant seat after Sen. Tom Carper announced his retirement. The Congresswoman campaigned on student loan forgiveness and her work to support funding for CTE pathways.
Rep. Blunt Rochester introduced the Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act in the House to expand Pell Grant eligibility and is currently a member of the House CTE Caucus. She has also worked on other legislation to support CTE, such as the Immersive Technology for the American Workforce Act to support community colleges and CTE centers’ work with immersive technology.
- Senator-elect Jim Banks (R-IN)
Rep. Jim Banks ran to fill the open seat in Indiana, created when Sen. Mike Braun (currently a member of the Senate CTE Caucus) ran for Governor. Currently representing Indiana’s 3rd District, Rep. Banks sits on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Rep. Banks’ work on education has been primarily focused on issues including Title IX and free speech on college campuses. He is currently a member of the House CTE Caucus.
- Senator-elect Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD)
Senator-elect Angela Alsobrooks currently serves as 8th County Executive in Prince George’s County in Maryland and ran to fill the open Senate seat following Sen. Benjamin Cardin’s retirement announcement. She is an advocate of CTE and has brought attention to CTE programs in the state, participating in CTE month activities. Senator-elect Alsobrooks also allocated funds to construct a CTE Hub in Temple Hills, MD. She has publicly supported lowering the cost of college, offering free community college to low-income students and Pell Grant expansion.
- Senator-elect Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)
Rep. Elissa Slotkin ran to fill the open Senate seat in Michigan following Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s retirement announcement. While Rep. Slotkin doesn’t lay out explicit priorities on education, she has advocated for the CHIPS and Science Act and strengthening infrastructure in Michigan. She has also received endorsement from the Michigan Education Association and is currently a member of the House CTE Caucus.
- Senator-elect Tim Sheehy (R-MT)
Senator-elect Tim Sheehy won his Senate race in Montana against incumbent Sen. Jon Tester who is currently in the Senate CTE Caucus. Senator-elect Sheehy is new to political office but served as a Lieutenant in the Navy for nine years and founded an aerial firefighting and wildfire management company. Senator-elect Sheehy’s exact policies on education have yet to be shared, but he has discussed an interest in social politics within schools.
- Senator-elect Andrew Kim (D-NJ)
Rep. Andrew Kim currently represents New Jersey’s 3rd District in the House of Representatives and ran for election to replace the former Sen. Bob Menendez. Congressman Kim is a member of the House CTE Caucus and has previously supported legislation such as the CHIPS and Science Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He also received the endorsements of the New Jersey Education Association and the National Education Association.
- Senator-elect Bernie Moreno (R-OH)
Senator-elect Bernie Moreno won his Senate race against incumbent Sherrod Brown, who is currently a member of the Senate CTE Caucus. Moreno is formerly a businessman, having grown and sold multiple companies prior to his Senate bid. While Senator-elect Moreno has not discussed education at length, he ran on 16 priorities including American energy independence and restoring American manufacturing.
- Senator-elect John Curtis (R-UT)
Rep. John Curtis currently represents Utah’s 3rd District in the House of Representatives and recently won his bid to fill the empty seat in Utah following Sen. Mitt Romney’s retirement. He has previously worked on the Time to Completion Act to help improve community college graduation rates. Rep. Curtis has noted his belief that decisions regarding education should be made at the local level with less federal regulation.
- Senator-elect Jim Justice (R-WV)
Governor Jim Justice won his Senate election to replace Sen. Joe Manchin, following his retirement announcement. Senator Manchin is currently a member of the Senate CTE Caucus. Governor Justice’s priorities are based on his interest in preparing students for 21st century careers and highlight the work that West Virginia has done to increase teacher and school service personnel pay. Additionally, as governor he worked to expand access to computer science education and has committed to promoting funding for CTE when he is sworn in as Senator.
- Senator-elect Dave McCormick (R-PA)
Senator-elect Dave McCormick has been declared the winner of his Senate race against incumbent, Sen. Bob Casey. Prior to his Senate race, Senator-elect McCormick served in the Army and worked under the Bush Administration.
Senator-elect McCormick has expressed interest in expanding school choice, committing to free expression and valuing civics. He has also noted the importance of creating new workforce training programs and giving job training and community colleges the same respect and financial support as is directed toward a four-year college education.
*Pennsylvania has issued an automatic recount given how close the results were. If anything changes, we will update and let you know!