Celina Stewart is the chief executive officer of the League of Women Voters of the United States. She leads the century-strong voting rights organization in its mission to empower voters and defend democracy. She oversees the League’s operations, resources, and strategy in this defining moment for American democracy.
Appointed CEO just three months before the 2024 election, Celina guided the organization through one of the most consequential election cycles in modern history. Under her first year of leadership, the League reached more than 30 million voters and invested over $1 million in nonpartisan election education. She unveiled a bold vision at the 2024 National LWV Convention, outlining goals to strengthen the League’s leadership in voting rights, align its national network of 700+ affiliates, and grow its membership and financial capacity through an equity-centered transformation.
Celina also launched Unite and Rise 8.5, an ambitious campaign to mobilize 8.5 million voters and assert the League’s role as a backbone organization for nonviolent civic action and defense of democracy. Her leadership emphasizes racial equity, organizational culture, and the need to modernize civic engagement for the current era.
Celina joined the League in 2018 as director of advocacy and litigation. In that role — and later as senior director and chief counsel — she developed a nationally recognized legal advocacy program. She was the architect of the “People Powered Fair Maps™” redistricting campaign and One Person One Vote, a long-term campaign to end the Electoral College. Her work expanded the League’s presence on Capitol Hill and built key legal partnerships nationwide.
A creative legal strategist, Celina has led litigation to protect voters from intimidation and disinformation. In League of Women Voters Arizona v. Lions of Liberty, she secured a restraining order against militia groups threatening voters at drop boxes, setting a national precedent. In League of Women Voters of New Hampshire v. Kramer, she combined voting rights and consumer protection law to address AI-generated robocalls designed to suppress voters in the 2024 primary. The case established a novel legal framework for protecting elections from disinformation.
Celina is a frequent media voice on democracy and voting rights. She has appeared on CBS News Sunday Morning, MSNBC Morning Joe, CNN, TIME, The Washington Post, Vogue, Teen Vogue, The New York Times, Newsweek, Spectrum News, and Roland Martin, Unfiltered, among others. She has spoken at Harvard, Georgetown Law, American University, Hampton University, and Northeastern Law. In May 2025, she testified before the US Senate, warning lawmakers that legislation like the SAVE Act could disproportionately suppress eligible voters — especially women and people of color — and urging protection for free and fair elections.
Before joining the League, Celina served as chief operating officer and director of philanthropy at FairVote, where she advanced structural election reform and organizational growth. She has also worked as a litigation consultant to Am Law 100 firms, a legislative aide in the Michigan Legislature, and as legal counsel to Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, where she led redistricting work in compliance with the Voting Rights Act. She also served as executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute’s 21st Century Council, helping shape national policy recommendations for communities of color.
Celina earned her JD from Western Michigan University Law School and her BA in Sociology from Spelman College. She is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and has served on the boards of the DC Bar Association, the Women’s Bar Association of DC, and the NAACP DC Branch. She is a member of the National Task Force on Election Crises and is active in the national civil rights coalition defending democracy.
Beyond her professional work, Celina is a published author (The Pocket Planner), a wine enthusiast, and a passionate foodie.
Photo: DFinney Photography
If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you’re probably aware of the recent attacks on “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) policies. But what is DEI, how does it really impact us and our democracy? This blog will provide more clarity into the concept, who’s opposing it, and why it’s important.
On January 20, Inauguration Day, the next president and vice president of the United States will be sworn into office in front of the US Capitol Building. As part of the peaceful transfer of power, the two men will recite their Oaths of Office, swearing to protect and defend the US Constitution and to enact their duties faithfully.
As our democracy anticipates unprecedented challenges, there could be no better time to pledge our own oath to protect and preserve democracy. Here’s ours.
It’s 2024. 101 years have passed since the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was proposed, and women’s equal rights are still not enshrined in the US Constitution.
It's normal to wish we could just find out results on the night of an election.
But we're highly unlikely to know the results on election night — and that's good. It means our system is working as it should.
Voting is one of the most important ways we can shape our future and reinforce our democratic principles. But sometimes the process can feel intimidating. One way to feel more confident when you go to the polls is to know your Election Day rights.
On July 21, 2024, President Biden announced he was standing down from running for reelection. Here’s what voters need to know about the current situation and the process in place for the Democratic ticket moving forward.
Election and voting rights were the focus of this year’s Brown Forum for Women in Law Conference hosted by Northeastern University School of Law. This year’s conference was entitled “Women, Media, and the Law: Impacting Elections 2024.”
Our chief counsel and senior director of advocacy and litigation, Celina Stewart, attended the conference and spoke on its voting rights panel.
Ten years ago, the Voting Rights Act's power to prevent election discrimination was undermined by the Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder.
The ruling's impact is still felt, as some politicians attempt to limit the electoral power of specific communities, such as Black and brown voters.
The Voting Rights Act (VRA) was signed into law on August 6, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was a proud day in American history. But the history to get to this point was stormy and full of thorns. And today, we have neither tamed the storm nor nipped the thorns still present as we work towards the American dream of life, liberty, and justice for all.
Very much like life, there have been challenges often, but with each test, the NVRA has uncovered valuable lessons on how to remain standing.