…and by building a year-round coalition that makes the progressive community stronger.

Since 2003, America Votes has built a diverse and lasting coalition of issue organizations working to achieve our common goals.

Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood Action Fund

John Stocks, National Education Association

Stephanie Schriock, EMILY's List

Our Team

Christian Altamirano

Executive Office Coordinator

Christian Altamirano

Executive Office Coordinator

Christian is the Executive Office Coordinator and directly works with the President and Executive Director. Prior to joining America Votes, Christian helped manage the independent expenditures for congressional races across the country in the 2022 election with the House Majority PAC. He possesses a deep passion for civic responsibility with multiple national service stints in AmeriCorps. He is a proud native of Southern California and an alumnus of The University of California, Los Angeles.

Valerie Barnhart

Deputy State Director

Valerie Barnhart

Deputy State Director

Valerie Barnhart is the Deputy State Director at AV Georgia. Val has over a decade of experience in the Labor movement working on coordinated and independent electoral campaigns. Val lives in Atlanta and enjoys adventures with their dog, Mercy.

Rahel Biru (she/her)

National Operations Director

Rahel Biru (she/her)

National Operations Director

Rahel is the National Operations Director, a new role created to serve the growing America Votes staff and the myriad responsibilities associated with the Finance, Human Resources and Information Technology. Her background includes over 5 years of organizing for change in Brooklyn, NY with the Democratic Socialists of America, serving as the Co-chair for 3 years, orienting newly politicized members and canvassing for local candidates.

Ashlei Blue

State Director

Ashlei Blue

State Director

Ashlei Blue is the North Carolina state director for America Votes. Her career has focused on fighting voter suppression and gerrymandering. She loves supporting Southern organizers, writing songs and storm chasing. Ashlei is from the All-American city, Fayetteville, N.C.

Rachel Bowman

State Director

Rachel Bowman

State Director

Rachel Bowman is the State Director at America Votes Ohio. Rachel has worked in progressive politics for ten years, including as a field organizer for Obama for America, field director for the DFL House Caucus, digital director for Moms Demand Action, and program director at For Our Future Ohio. She is a passionate trainer and field expert. Rachel is a New Leaders Council Columbus 2020 alum and current board member. When she’s not working to create progressive change, she’s taking her rescue mutt, Emma, to a park in Columbus, Ohio.

Carol Carvalho

State Director

Carol Carvalho

State Director

Carol works with her team to grow the progressive movement and elect good people up and down the ballot in Pennsylvania. Before joining America Votes, she worked in the labor movement, most recently as the executive director of the Southeastern PA AFL-CIO.

Chelsea Castellano

Program Director

Chelsea Castellano

Program Director

Chelsea Castellano is the Colorado Program Director at America Votes. Her background includes leading and organizing grassroots ballot measure campaigns to reform exclusionary housing laws and increase voter turnout and equal representation in local elections. She’s worked on campaigns to support progressive candidates and spent eight years developing climate policy and programming at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. She grew up in NJ, is an avid (albeit not talented) pickleball player, and enjoys concerts, coffee, and paddleboarding on high alpine lakes.

Amy Cookson (she/ her/hers)

Communications Director

Amy Cookson (she/ her/hers)

Communications Director

Prior to joining the Maine Votes team, Amy served as the communications director for Planned Parenthood in Maine, an MV steering committee member. A voracious reader, Amy usually has a book in her bag. When not working, she loves to travel & dance (lindy hop is her favorite).

Kate Corriveau

State Director

Kate Corriveau

State Director

Kate is the New Hampshire state director at America Votes. She also serves on the board of the ACLU NH, is an identical triplet and lives in Manchester with her husband and three young sons.

Nervahna Crew

Deputy State Director

Nervahna Crew

Deputy State Director

Nervahna Crew was raised in Wilmington, Delaware. She earned a BA in Sociology: Criminal Justice in 2002 from Delaware State University. A couple years after graduating, she decided she needed a change of scenery. In 2004, she found that place, and relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina. She has an extreme love for Raleigh and appreciates the beauty it offers not only for herself, but for her son Randall. She previously served on the Wake County Democratic party as Secretary from 2014-2017. In 2020, she served as a North Carolina Regional Political Director for the Biden/Harris campaign. In November 2018, she was elected to office to serve as Wake County’s first African American female Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor. Nervahna is currently the Deputy State Director for America Votes North Carolina.

Miles Davis

Florida Director of Voting Rights

Miles Davis

Florida Director of Voting Rights

Davis entered politics in May 2016 as a field organizer for the Florida Democratic Party, the first of three roles of increasing import he held with the group over four-plus years. He ran the election campaigns of Gainesville state Rep. Yvonne Hinson, Iowa state Sen. Nate Boulton, former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman and former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. After working one year as Tampa state Rep. Dianne Hart’s first legislative aide and serving as a director for the Florida Democrats, he accepted a job offer in December 2020 to be The Chief of Staff to state Senator Shevrin Jones. In a state with a growing voter imbalance favoring the GOP, which controls 70% of the Legislature, it’s been nothing but uphill battles for Davis and the Democratic politicians for whom he’s worked. That won’t change with the new job. But if the odds not being in his favor bothers Davis, a self-professed “advocate for the underdog,” he’s not letting on.

Daria Dawson

Deputy Executive Director and National Political Director

Daria Dawson

Deputy Executive Director and National Political Director

Daria Dawson is the Deputy Executive Director at America Votes. Her 15-year career includes positions in the labor movement and issue/electoral campaigns. She is a graduate of the greatest HBCU in the world, Florida A&M University and cheers shamelessly for the NY Yankees.

Meet the Whole Team ›

News

America Votes Leadership Team Statement on the Supreme Court’s Ruling in Moore v. Harper

06/27/2023

June 27, 2023 Contact: press@americavotes.org WASHINGTON— Today the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling in the case of Moore v. Harper that rejected the radical Independent State Legislature (ISL) Theory. ISL, in its most extreme interpretation, would provide state legislatures unlimited power over elections including maps, voting rights laws, and election certification…. Read more »

America Votes Leadership Team Statement on the 10th Anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Ruling in Shelby County v. Holder

06/23/2023

June 23, 2023 Contact: press@americavotes.org WASHINGTON— On June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling in the case of Shelby County v. Holder which struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act. The America Votes Senior Leadership Team issued the following statement ahead of the 10th anniversary of the ruling:… Read more »

The coordination hub of the progressive community.

We lead collaborative efforts to advance progressive policies and win elections in key states…

…and advocate to modernize elections and protect every American's right to vote…

…by working with a diverse community of over 400 partner organizations at the national, state and local levels…

…and by building a year-round coalition that makes the progressive community stronger.

The progressive movement works best when WE WORK TOGETHER.

Our Team

Christian Altamirano

Christian Altamirano

Valerie Barnhart

Valerie Barnhart

Rahel Biru (she/her)

Rahel Biru (she/her)

Ashlei Blue

Ashlei Blue

Rachel Bowman

Rachel Bowman

Carol Carvalho

Carol Carvalho

Chelsea Castellano

Chelsea Castellano

Amy Cookson (she/ her/hers)

Amy Cookson (she/ her/hers)

Kate Corriveau

Kate Corriveau

Nervahna Crew

Nervahna Crew

Miles Davis

Miles Davis

Daria Dawson

Daria Dawson

News

America Votes Leadership Team Statement on the Supreme Court’s Ruling in Moore v. Harper

America Votes Leadership Team Statement on the 10th Anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Ruling in Shelby County v. Holder

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