18 women candidates to watch for the 2018 midterms

14. Linda Coleman (D)

State: North Carolina
Race: 2nd District
Platform highlights: As first listed on her website, Coleman pushes for better public education, saying that “education is the rising tide that lifts all ships.” This platform includes federal funding for pre-K programs and student debt relief and loan forgiveness.

On the economic side, Coleman points to her time in the state’s General Assembly, where she pushed for North Carolina’s increased minimum wage. In Congress, she states that she would support raising the federal minimum wage to $15.00 per hour. This would be accompanied by paid family sick leave and equal pay legislation for women in the workplace.

Coleman also advocates for better rural access to healthcare, improved infrastructure, campaign finance reform, stronger voting rights, and increased gun control. She also supports conservation efforts, along with stronger regulations to protect clean water and the environmental landscape of North Carolina.

Why you should watch out for her: Coleman’s participation in this race is somewhat surprising, given that few expected a Democratic challenger to jump-start a tight competition. Various polls (including some paid for by Coleman’s campaign, so consider taking the results with a grain of salt), show Coleman and incumbent Republican George Holding within only a few points of each other.

Holding himself has admitted to his constituents that this is a tight race. “We can’t judge what will happen this election by what happened in elections two or four or six years ago. The wind has changed. The ground beneath our feet has shifted,” he wrote in a fundraising email to supporters. In 2016, Holding secured his third term as an N.C. representative by a handy 13 points. This time, he does not appear to be resting quite so easily.

Campaign website: www.lindacolemanforcongress.com