NASW PACE Prepares for 2026 Midterm Elections Amid Its 50-Year Celebration
By Paul R. Pace
NASW CEO Anthony Estreet speaks during a reception to honor the legacy of NASW-PACE
In the Nov. 3 midterm elections, voters nationwide will decide all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 33 seats in the U.S. Senate.
Once again, the national NASW Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) board of trustees and its subcommittees will carry on their work by reviewing, endorsing and potentially contributing to federal candidates from any party who support NASW’s policy agenda. NASW chapter PACE committees decide on local and state races.
For 50 years, NASW-PACE has carried on its rigorous endorsement process, ongoing relationships with elected officials, and constant advocacy for social workers and their clients.
“We’ve made a lot of good changes,” said Kimberly Hokanson, PhD, MSW, LCSW, co-chair of NASW-PACE. “We are 50 years strong.”
NASW-PACE builds political power for social workers through field organizers who help mobilize NASW members to vote, through contributions to candidates who agree with NASW policy positions, and by political training for members.
Sylvia R. Garcia, D-Texas
During June’s NASW national conference in Washington, D.C., organizers held a reception to honor NASW-PACE’s 50-year legacy this year. U.S. Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia, D-Texas, a trained social worker, spoke at the event.
“It’s really important when I get asked, why are you in this?” Garcia said. “We’re here to change the world. We’re here to make a difference. And that’s exactly what I see in terms of my role in the Congress.”
She noted she grew up with a family that was supported by government safety net programs like the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). It is a federal program that provides financial assistance to low-income individuals and families to help them buy nutritious food.
“I relate to that because I was the recipient of the program as a child,” Garcia said. “So, when I talk about the SNAP program, it’s not just a talking point. It’s from the heart, because I lived it.”
“And with the SNAP cuts that were made by the Trump administration in historic numbers, there’s more people going hungry today than in the peak of the pandemic,” Garcia said.
She noted the rules have changed about what SNAP recipients can and can’t buy rather than just letting people buy the food they need.
“They may not have a stove at home, so why are we telling them they can’t buy prepared food?” she asked. “So, we really need to work hard on making sure that some of these programs are not as prescriptive, that we give people the flexibility to buy what’s good for their families, for their culture, for their own needs.”
When it comes to health care policies, she noted that again, her family benefitted from safety net programs. “I still remember standing in line in a welfare place to get a shot,” she said. “So, what I do comes from experience.”
“And I’ve always said that the work I’m doing now and the work of a member of Congress for me, is just an extension of my social work (experience),” she said. “It’s all about caring about people.”
Glenn Ivey, D-MD
“My constituents want food on the table, a roof over their head, food in their tummy, and to be able to give a good life to their children,” she said.
“I’ve always believed in political social work,” she added. “My chief of staff is an MSW and I’m proud of it.”
Joining Garcia at the NASW-PACE reception was U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md. He said he agreed with Garcia in asking social workers to engage in politics and policies in an effort to make a difference.
“The grassroots stuff that you do every day, that’s the Lord’s work,” he said. “So, thanks so much for what you’re doing. Keep up the great work.”
Jeremy Haines, director of public policy and government relations at NASW, noted the association has hired field organizers for the battleground states of Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Texas for the midterm elections. These four states were chosen because there is a competitive and/or crucial Senate race in the state and the chapter has the structure to support the effort, Haines said.
“Field organizers help elect candidates by mobilizing members in their states to volunteer and vote for NASW-PACE-endorsed candidates who will be allies to NASW in Congress and help promote future policy and legislative victories,” he said.
The list of NASW candidate endorsees will be kept updated at socialworkers.org/Advocacy/Political-Action-for-Candidate-Election-PACE/Elections/2026-PACE-Endorsements.
In addition, NASW national is actively developing a campaign in conjunction with NASW chapters and others to highlight voting rights and voter mobilization resources ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Haines noted. The campaign not only looks at NASW’s ongoing efforts to protect voting rights but also provides resources to NASW members that they can use to help educate and empower people throughout their communities to engage in the electoral process, Haines said. “The right to vote is perhaps the most precious gift our Constitution offers us,” he said. “Since the United States’ conception, voting remains the cornerstone and centerpiece upon which our democracy rests, allowing the people of this country to collectively determine the government leaders, programs and policies that guide us as a nation.”
“As social workers, we understand the power that expressing voice and choice at the ballot box can have, and we are committed to promoting this power and encourage everyone to exercise their ability to vote,” Haines added.
NASW CEO Anthony Estreet also spoke at the PACE reception. “The founding members of PACE were missionaries,” he said. “They saw that political power is necessary to advance the social work profession.”