Rep. Lauren Underwood takes reins of Democratic women's 'power brunch' — vows big wins for Dems in November

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood on Friday carried the baton from retiring U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky in hosting a “women's power brunch” for top Illinois Democrats — as she vowed Democrats will flip 20 House seats in November.

From becoming the youngest Black woman to be elected to Congress in 2018 to serving as a recruitment co-chair for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Underwood, 39, continues to boost her profile as a Democratic power player.

Underwood said she’s carrying on Schakowsky’s luncheon tradition, which now serves as a fundraiser for the Naperville Democrat’s campaign, to honor the legacy of trailblazing women and celebrate the next generation’s leaders, including keynote speaker and fellow House colleague Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY.

“Across the Democratic Party, I know that folks are really anxious for next generation leaders, but friends, don’t fret. As Alex and I both seek re-election to serve in our fifth terms, please know that next gen leaders are here,” Underwood told the audience. “We are experienced. We have major wins on the board, and we are already to take on Donald Trump and the Republicans in charge of the aggressive accountability that is needed to defend our democracy.”

Ocasio-Cortez honored both Underwood and Schakowsky in her speech, calling the retiring Democrat “one of the very few people in Congress to look for young women, walk up to them and say, ‘I have your back.'”

“Even in this moment, there’s so much discourse happening about the Democratic Party and generational change, and very few people never want, a lot of leaders here, don’t want to cultivate what will come next, but Jan has done that her entire career,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “It has been part of her responsibility.”

Ocasio-Cortez and Underwood both disputed false rumors of spats between the two when both took office in 2019 as record-breakers, when Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman elected to Congress at age 29.

“Whatever chatter goes on, she and I know what the deal is, and we’ve had each other’s backs from day one, and we’ve been good friends since day one,” Ocasio-Cortez said, “... We need each other, and we look out for each other. And we’ve had those late night phone calls like, ‘Hey girl, look out.’”

Underwood last year mulled a run for Durbin’s U.S. Senate seat but ultimately decided to focus her efforts on her role in the DCCC, which is both working to flip seats and to recruit Democrats in battleground states.

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who won the Democratic primary for Durbin’s seat, told the Sun-Times Underwood, through her role in recruiting candidates, has “always been about building our bench.”

Stratton said Democrats must take advantage of political headwinds.

“Look at what’s happening in our country. Look at what happened just last week with the Voting Rights Act and the Supreme Court decision, and I think people are energized,” Stratton said. “We need to keep getting our message out, engaging voters and letting everyone know that regardless of how they voted in the primary, that we’re the party that’s going to deliver on health care, raising wages and making more affordable.”

Schakowsky hosted the luncheon for 19 years, and last year announced she wouldn’t be seeking a 15th term in Congress at the annual event.

“Oh, it’s been coming since 2018,” Schakowsky said of Underwood taking over her tradition. “I think she’s just fabulous. She wants to adopt some of the things I do, which, go for it. I’m happy about that.”

As recruitment co-chair of the DCCC, Underwood has been calling and coaching candidates in districts that either Vice President Kamala Harris won, that a Republican now holds or districts that President Donald Trump won by less than five points, among other factors. Underwood said she's closely watching candidates in Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio.

"The Midwest is popping, and we're investing, the DCCC is. We have competitive districts in Kentucky. We're competing in Tennessee ... We're competing in places that Democrats have not shown up. Florida is on the map big time," Underwood said. "... We're investing in great candidates who are raising good money and running really smart, focused campaigns. No one likes Trump's failed economic agenda. No one likes this costly, unconstitutional war in Iran. No one likes the chaos and corruption in every single day coming out of his administration. And they know that they're losing."

As for Ocasio-Cortez’s political future, with rumblings of the New York Democrat running for president in 2028, Underwood said she has her support.

“I’m like, ‘Girl, do it,’” Underwood said. “I’m here rooting for her for whatever it is that she wants to do, and she knows that.”