Six USJLP Members on the Ballot in 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections

Six members of the United States-Japan Leadership Program (USJLP), the signature initiative of the United States-Japan Foundation (USJF), are running in the U.S. midterm elections on November 3, 2026. They are seeking offices that range from governor to the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures. A seventh USJLP member, Jackson Sayama, has effectively secured a seat in the Hawaiʻi State Senate following his August primary victory. USJF is a nonpartisan organization and does not endorse candidates for public office.

The candidates include Democrats, Republicans, and an independent, and they are running in states from Maine to California. Three are running for governor in Maryland, Nevada, and Maine. The others are seeking a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, a statewide executive office in California, and a seat in the Indiana State Senate.

Two of the candidates' paths crossed this summer. In July, Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who are both members of the USJLP Class of 2013, appeared together in Las Vegas on a stop of Ford's small-business tour, focusing on small businesses and affordability.

Ben Allen (USJLP 2013, 2016)
Allen, Ben 2013 California State Senator Ben Allen is one of two Democrats in the race for California Insurance Commissioner, facing Jane Kim for the seat being vacated by term-limited incumbent Ricardo Lara. First elected to the State Senate in 2014, Allen currently represents District 24, which includes Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Malibu. His platform focuses on advocating for consumers after disasters, stabilizing the insurance market, and making government more transparent.

Rick Bennett (USJLP 2000, 2001)
Bennett, Richard 2000 Maine State Senator Rick Bennett is running for governor as an independent, facing Democrat Hannah Pingree and Republican Bobby Charles for the seat being vacated by term-limited Governor Janet Mills. Bennett unenrolled from the Republican Party in June 2025 to enter the race. A former President of the Maine Senate, he served in the Maine House from 1990 to 1994 and the Maine Senate from 1996 to 2004, and chaired the Maine Republican Party from 2013 through part of 2017. His platform rests on three pillars: making life more affordable, growing Maine's economy, and restoring trust in government. If elected, he would be the third independent governor in Maine's history.

Aaron Ford (USJLP 2012, 2013)
Ford, Aaron 2012 Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is the Democratic nominee for governor, challenging incumbent Republican Governor Joe Lombardo. In 2019, Ford became Nevada's 34th Attorney General and the first Black American to hold a statewide constitutional office in the state; he is now completing his second term. His tenure has been marked by litigation related to the opioid epidemic, and his campaign has focused on the rising cost of groceries, gas, housing, and healthcare. If elected, he would be Nevada's first Black governor.

Ryan Mackenzie (USJLP 2015, 2018)
Mackenzie, Ryan 2015 U.S. Representative Ryan Mackenzie is seeking a second term representing Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, which covers the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania. The Republican incumbent faces Democrat Bob Brooks. Mackenzie was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2012 and won his current seat in 2024, defeating Democratic incumbent Susan Wild. He serves on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Homeland Security. His campaign emphasizes the cost of living and support for working families, including child and childcare tax credits, as well as housing, transportation, and energy permitting legislation.

Wes Moore (USJLP 2013)
Moore, Wes (225x250) Maryland Governor Wes Moore is seeking a second term, facing Republican Dan Cox. A Democrat elected in 2022, Moore became the state's first Black governor and the third Black governor in the nation's history. His re-election platform centers on public safety, economic growth, and education, and he has pointed to his administration's work to reopen the Port of Baltimore after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March 2024. Before taking office, Moore served in the Army as a combat veteran and led one of the country's largest poverty-fighting organizations.

Nate Uldricks (USJLP 2025, 2026)
Uldricks, Nathan (225x250) Nate Uldricks is the Republican candidate for Indiana State Senate District 4 in Northwest Indiana, challenging incumbent Democratic State Senator Rodney Pol Jr. His campaign priorities include building the manufacturing economy, lowering everyday costs, public safety, and protecting the region's dunes, lakes, and farms. Uldricks serves as Chair of the Pine Township Board and as a volunteer firefighter. He previously held senior leadership roles in the U.S. federal government at the U.S. Department of Defense, White House Budget Office, and the Department of Labor.

Securing a Seat Ahead of November

Jackson Sayama (USJLP 2025)
Sayama, Jackson 2025 formatted Hawaiʻi State Representative Jackson Sayama won the August 8 Democratic primary for State Senate District 10 on Oʻahu with 61.5% of the vote, defeating State Senator Les Ihara Jr., the longest-serving member of the Legislature. With no opponent in the general election, Sayama secures a four-year term in the Senate. He was first elected to the State House in 2020 at age 23, one of the state's youngest elected representatives. He has said he is running to help build a Hawaiʻi where local residents can afford to remain.

Six USJLP Members on the Ballot in 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections

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