Welcome to the Media Round Up! This week we’re collecting and sharing our favorite gender + politics stories.

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Arizona attorney general threatens legal action against Mike Johnson for failing to seat Adelita Grijalva
POLITICO

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes threatened legal action against House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday for failing to seat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva. In a letter to Johnson, Mayes accused the House GOP leader of violating the Constitution by unnecessarily delaying the Democrat’s swearing-in ceremony. Grivalja won a special election in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District to replace her late father, former Rep. Raúl Grijalva, last month. Democrats have accused Johnson and Republicans of stalling to prevent Grijalva from being the final signatory needed in an effort to force a vote on legislation related to releasing files about the investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, tearing into her own party, says GOP men in Congress are ‘weak’
Washington Post, Kadia Goba and Liz Goodwin

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), an “anti-establishment outsider” who is used to conflict with leaders of her own party, is on what some Republicans are calling a “media blitz from hell.” In recent weeks, Taylor Greene has sided with Democrats to call for extensions to health care subsidies, torched House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) government shutdown strategy in interviews, and supported an effort to force a vote to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – one that President Donald Trump has publicly opposed. Greene’s attacks reflect “disillusionment” with how she and other Republican women in Congress have been treated; she said that qualified and tough women, such as herself and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), have been ignored or punished, while “weak” Republican men in office are rewarded.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills to Run for Senate, Seeking to Dislodge Susan Collins
Washington Post, Dan Merica and Amy B. Wong

Maine Gov. Janet Mills announced a campaign for the U.S. Senate, joining a crowded Democratic field challenging Susan Collins (R), who has held the seat for nearly three decades. Mills, 77, would become the oldest freshman senator in history if elected, capping a long career in politics. The governor gained national attention earlier this year through high-profile clashes with President Donald Trump. Her entry into the race, which already includes Democrats Dan Kleban, Graham Planter, and Jordan Wood, came after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) personally recruited her, making Mills one of the party’s top Senate prospects.

Iowa GOP women rally behind Trump, Israel ceasefire and call to end government shutdown

Republican women seeking state and federal offices in 2026 headlined a Johnson County Republican Women event Monday night, with U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks focusing their remarks on the release of Israeli hostages. Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Ottumwa, recounted staying awake through the night to watch reports confirming the release of Israeli hostages, calling the moment “historic” and “something that, beyond political party and political factions, we should absolutely applaud.” She and other members of Congress plan to introduce legislation to award Donald Trump a congressional gold medal for his role in advancing the ceasefire.

5 Takeaways From the Heated Virginia Governor’s Debate
The Hill, Julia Manchester and Caroline Vakil

Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) and Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) clashed Thursday in the state’s only gubernatorial debate before Election Day, with the controversy over Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones’s threatening text messages dominating the opening exchanges.

Spanberger condemned the texts but refused to call for Jones to drop out or clarify whether she still endorsed him, telling moderators “it is up to voters to make a decision based on this information.” Earle-Sears aggressively pressed her opponent throughout the hourlong debate, interrupting Spanberger so frequently that moderators had to intervene multiple times to restore order.

Transgender policies and abortion access emerged as the evening’s sharpest policy flashpoints, reflecting broader cultural divides in Virginia politics.

Helena Moreno is Elected Mayor of New Orleans
The New York Times, Rick Rojas

New Orleans City Councilwoman Helena Moreno won the city’s mayoral race Saturday with 55% of the vote, avoiding a runoff and assembling a broad coalition that crossed racial and neighborhood lines. Moreno defeated two fellow Democrats in a race dominated by quality-of-life concerns.

Moreno’s campaign secured endorsements from politicians across the spectrum, including Republican megadonor Boysie Bollinger, a wide network of Black pastors, Rep. Troy Carter, former Rep. Cedric Richmond, and former Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Former Vice President Kamala Harris also backed her candidacy.

Born in Mexico, Moreno moved to the U.S. when she was 8 years old and will take office in January as the city’s second woman mayor and first Hispanic mayor. She succeeds the term-limited LaToya Cantrell, who will leave office under the cloud of a federal indictment charging her with wire fraud, conspiracy and lying to a federal grand jury.

‘Deeply Alarmed’: House Democrats Send a Letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
The 19th, Mariel Padilla

On Tuesday, two women veterans in Congress led nearly 100 House Democrats in sending a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling his comments on women in the military deeply harmful and demanding more transparency. Notably, the leaders of the effort, Reps. Chrissy Houlahan and Maggie Goodlander, called for the reinstatement of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service, which Hegseth terminated in September. If Hegseth fails to reinstate DACOWITS by October 31st, the members of Congress will be demanding an in-person briefing to discuss Hegseth’s rationale before November 6th. For decades, women have made up more than 21% of the active-duty force and have held combat roles. The letter also criticizes Hegseth’s memo weakening the definitions of hazing and bullying, which could affect the military justice reforms aimed at helping victims of sexual harassment and assault. Nearly 1 in 4 women in the military report having experienced sexual assault, while more than half report harassment.

Getting Women to Run

As Erika Kirk steps into her new role at Turning Point USA, Republicans hope she can make inroads with young women, a demographic where the party continues to struggle despite recent modest gains. Kirk now faces the pressure of filling her late husband’s shoes while confronting a major obstacle: the pervasive online harassment that drives women away from politics.

Violent online abuse, described as “technology-facilitated violence against women,” aims to humiliate, coerce, or silence its targets. The phenomenon has had a chilling effect on women’s political participation, discouraging candidates from running for office and pushing some to abandon political careers entirely. For Kirk and Republicans seeking to expand their appeal, addressing this barrier may prove as important as any messaging strategy.

Dating and Motherhood

An “expanding network” of female-led rightwing influencers and media creators – sometimes referred to as the “womanosphere” – are advocating for a larger stake in the dating pool. These women are using their platform to reclaim the narrative surrounding traditional relationships, which they claim has been “poisoned by feminist brainwashing.” As this group grows louder, they are destigmatizing the environment for singles who champion traditional conservative values such as monogamy, marriage, and starting a family. Mothers within the womanosphere have also found themselves under a “newly brightened spotlight,” as national discourse over parenting tactics continues: in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, moms-turned-health-influencers are making their voices heard as they question childhood vaccines and additive food dyes, and in the pronatalism movement, conservative mothers have emerged front and center as women are urged to have more children.

Amid Shutdown, Trump Administration Guts Department Overseeing Special Education
NPR

On Friday, the Trump administration gutted the office responsible for overseeing special education, according to many sources within the department. All staff in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), with the exception of a few top officials and support staff, were cut in Friday’s reduction-in-force. The office is the “central nervous system” for programs that support students with disabilities, monitoring and overseeing states to ensure that they are complying with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In response to the RIF, Rachel Gittleman, president AFGE Local 252 – the union that represents many Education Department employees – said that the “harm these cuts will cause for the 7.5 million students with disabilities across the country is only the beginning. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, however, has claimed that the Education Department will protect IDEA, attempting to assuage concerns by stating that the department would “continue to fully fund and carry out all of Congress’ statutorily required programs.”

Georgia lawmaker who died after long battle with cancer remembered as a champion for children
Georgia Recorder

Mandi Ballinger, a Canton Republican, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. Ballinger started her career working in a domestic violence shelter and went on to work for a district attorney’s office as a victim advocate before she was elected to the Georgia State House in 2012. Representative Ballinger’s highest priority as a legislator was helping Georgia’s young people affected by our state juvenile justice system. She brought her passion for serving the vulnerable to the state Capitol. Colleagues of state Rep. Ballinger say they’ll remember her as a woman with a heart for Georgia’s children, a mind for parsing intricate laws and the guts to stand up for what she believed in.