Three Swarthmore alumni were elected to serve the U.S. Congress or as governors on Tuesday, with Josh Green ’92, H’22 securing a second term as governor of Hawaii, Phil Weiser ’90 winning the governorship of Colorado, and Will Lawrence ’13 prevailing in a tightly contested U.S. House race in Michigan.

The three Democrats took different paths into politics — medicine, law, and grassroots organizing — and now stand to hold prominent positions in state and national government.

Green Re-Elected Hawaii Governor

Green, a physician who was first elected governor in 2022, cruised to a second term. Running alongside Lieutenant Governor-Elect Derek Kawakami, he received roughly three-quarters of the vote in early returns, putting him on track for a potentially record-setting margin of victory.

“People are going through tough times, and we want to be a team that helps anyone who would welcome it,” Green told Hawaii News Now on election night.

Green graduated from Swarthmore with a degree in anthropology before earning his medical degree from Penn State University. His work as a physician in underserved communities on Hawaii’s Big Island helped inspire his move into politics.

First elected to the Hawaii House of Representatives in 2004, Green later served in the state Senate and as lieutenant governor before winning the governorship in 2022. During his first term, he worked to address housing costs and access to health care while navigating several natural disasters, including the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires.

Green received an honorary degree from Swarthmore in 2022.

Lawrence Victorious in Michigan Congressional Race

Lawrence, a longtime community organizer and co-founder of the youth-led climate organization Sunrise Movement, won in Michigan’s competitive  7th Congressional District in a closely-watched race.

Speaking to supporters in Lansing, Lawrence reflected on the challenges facing the country and the work ahead.

“Out of this chaos, we're seeking just some stability, just some peace of mind, a New Deal for the 21st century,” Lawrence said, according to WKAR Public Media.

At Swarthmore, Lawrence studied sociology & anthropology and engaged in undergraduate activism on environmental sustainability. He carried that mission beyond campus, eventually  co-founding the Sunrise Movement, which helped bring the Green New Deal into the national spotlight.

Lawrence later returned to his home state of Michigan, where he worked on affordable housing and renters’ rights. His congressional campaign focused on many of the same concerns, including housing costs, health care, jobs, and the growing influence of large technology companies.

Weiser Elected Colorado Governor

In Colorado, Weiser was elected the state’s 44th governor after serving two terms as attorney general. In his election-night remarks, he called on Coloradans to work together to address the state's challenges.

“Let us together build a future based on the values that make Colorado special and meet the urgency of this moment by making long overdue changes,” Weiser told supporters, per The Colorado Sun.

Weiser graduated from Swarthmore with a degree in political science before earning his law degree from New York University. He went on to serve in the U.S. Department of Justice and as dean of the University of Colorado Law School.

As attorney general, Weiser became known for his work on consumer protection, antitrust enforcement, and challenges to federal policies. His campaign for governor focused on making Colorado more affordable, creating economic opportunities, and bringing people together to solve problems.

Weiser returned to Swarthmore in 2021 to deliver the College's Constitution Day Lecture, “Our Aspirational Constitution.”

This story will be updated if we learn of more Swarthmore alumni elected to public office during this week’s midterm elections. Know of any others? Contact us at news@swarthmore.edu.