For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. —  The Next 50, the leading organization making early investments in next-generation Democrats under 50 in competitive races nationwide, today announced endorsements of four state legislative candidates in must-win races for Democrats: Wisconsin State Representative Robyn Vining for Wisconsin Senate, Anna Aho Rink for Michigan State Representative, Jacob Martinez for Arizona State Representative, and Ryan Hampton for Nevada State Assemblymember. Vining and Rink are running in two of the closest flip opportunities in their respective state legislative chambers. Martinez and Hampton are both running for open seats where the race was decided in 2024 by fewer than 1,000 votes.

“The Democratic bench doesn’t build itself — it gets built by exceptional candidates who step up and organizations willing to make the bet on them before anyone else will. That’s what we do at The Next 50, and Robyn Vining, Anna Rink, Jacob Martinez, and Ryan Hampton are exactly who we want to be behind early,” said Executive Director Mari Manoogian. “Rep. Robyn Vining has proven she can flip seats on the toughest maps in the country, and now she’s running for a Senate seat that could flip an entire chamber. Anna Aho Rink is a healthcare provider who worked at a Planned Parenthood clinic that shut down due to the Republican Congress, and decided to run for office herself. At just 24 years old, Jacob Martinez already has the endorsement of every incumbent in his district, and is competing in a battleground essential to Democrats reclaiming the Arizona House. And, Ryan Hampton built the largest recovery advocacy network in the country before he ever ran for office. That’s the kind of leadership we invest in early — and that’s how we win.”

“I am honored to be endorsed by The Next 50 and to join their 2026 class of leaders,” said Wisconsin State Representative Robyn Vining. “For 15 years Wisconsinites have been fighting for our values and we finally have the chance to win. With the Republican gerrymander behind us, this is our moment to cast a vision for the future of Wisconsin–affordable healthcare and childcare, fantastic schools, freedom from gun violence, protection of human rights, housing accessibility, and treating our neighbors with the love, dignity and respect they deserve.”

“The Next 50 knows that the fight for Michigan’s future runs straight through the 109th District,” said Anna Aho Rink. “I am proud to have their support as we build a campaign rooted in community, and focused on putting people over politics, expanding access to rural health care, creating good-paying jobs, and fighting for a district that has been overlooked for far too long. I’m running to make sure our Upper Peninsula communities have a voice in Lansing that will fiercely advocate for them and deliver, and I am ready to get to work.”

 “I’m honored to be endorsed by The Next 50, an organization committed to developing the next generation of Arizona leaders,” said Jacob Martinez. “Their focus on service and community leadership aligns closely with the values that drive my campaign. I’m grateful for their support as we work to deliver results for Legislative District 9 and all of Arizona.”

“I’m grateful to earn the endorsement of The Next 50,” said Ryan Hampton. “My life’s work has always been about championing the people the system leaves behind. Nevada deserves leaders who prioritize substantive policy over political theater and genuinely fight for everyday folks. This endorsement is a powerful validation of our campaign’s vision. It proves we are building the kind of broad coalition required to enact meaningful change and deliver real results for working families.”

About Wisconsin State Representative Robyn Vining

Robyn and her husband of almost 25 years, a professor, raised their children in Wauwatosa, WI, where she built her professional photography business from scratch about a decade and a half ago.

You’ll see her fierce work ethic and tenacity in Madison in the form of authoring and fighting hard for legislation that is important to the lives of her constituents. Knowing what it feels like to be a mother who lost her health insurance while pregnant, being a WIC mom, and EpiPen mom, facing her husband’s long-time unemployment, being a small business owner for almost two decades, and parenting through significant economic challenges, Robyn fights for families as if they’re her own.

She often says her body still has the “muscle memory” to remember what those very hard days of financial insecurity felt like, and she knows far too many Wisconsinites face similar challenges–especially right now. People are her motivator, fairness and justice are her rally cry, and the reason she’s running for the state Senate is, “For the Love of Wisconsin.”

About Anna Aho Rink

Anna Aho Rink is a dedicated healthcare provider, wife, and mother running for State Representative in Michigan’s 109th State District.

Born and raised in Marquette, MI, Anna is a fourth-generation Yooper who learned early the values of hard work, responsibility, and community. She earned her Physician Assistant degree from Grand Valley State University and has spent more than 20 years serving patients across the Upper Peninsula. Through her work, she has seen firsthand the barriers people across the Upper Peninsula face when trying to access quality, affordable healthcare.

She decided to run for State Representative after Trump’s federal funding cuts forced the closure of her Planned Parenthood office in Marquette in April 2025, disenfranchising thousands of individuals across the Upper Peninsula. She saw the need for more responsive leadership and believes that the government should work for the people it represents.

Anna is also deeply involved in her local community, including outdoor recreation groups, youth education and wildlife preservation boards, healthcare access initiatives, regional LGBTQ+ resource efforts, and volunteer work with nonprofits and athletic organizations.

If elected, she will focus on expanding affordable healthcare access, creating more good paying jobs, building affordable housing, and supporting public education and affordable childcare.

Anna lives in Marquette County with her husband, John, and their two teenage children.

About Jacob Martinez

Jacob Martinez is a lifelong Mesa resident, community advocate, and U.S. Navy Reserve servicemember running to represent Legislative District 9 in the Arizona State Legislature. A graduate of Mesa Public Schools, Jacob is committed to strengthening public education, serving working families, and delivering results for his community.

About Ryan Hampton

Ryan Hampton is a relentless community advocate, non-profit founder, and Democratic candidate for the Nevada State Assembly who has dedicated his career to fighting for working families and those pushed aside by broken systems. After entering long-term recovery in 2015, Ryan transformed his personal journey into systemic change by founding Mobilize Recovery, which has grown into the nation’s largest advocacy network for people overcoming addiction. He proved his ability to hold the powerful accountable when he took on Big Pharma and the billionaire Sackler family, serving as a lead representative for over 120,000 victims in the historic Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case. Rooted in a working-class upbringing and an early career organizing for workers’ rights, Ryan intimately understands the kitchen-table economic struggles facing Nevadans today. As a candidate for Assembly District 9, he is bringing his fearless, result-oriented energy to Carson City to tackle the state’s affordability crisis head-on. His legislative platform is laser-focused on lowering everyday costs, expanding attainable housing, and demanding true healthcare and mental health parity from predatory insurance companies. Ultimately, Ryan is a proven problem-solver who believes the best policies come from giving everyday people a seat at the table, and he is ready to unrig the system so every community has a fair shot to thrive.