Women and Politics

Terri Sewell’s primary is coming up on June 1st, and in a tough four-way race to replace Rep. Artur Davis in AL-07, you need to stop and take notice of a candidate who has both the professional credentials and the deep Alabama roots to truly understand and fully represent this district.

Terri was raised in Selma and lives in Birmingham, so she understands both major cities in the district. After becoming the first Black valedictorian in the history of Selma High School, Terri went on to Princeton, Oxford, and Harvard Law. She was on the fast track to success in corporate law in New York – but she came back to Alabama. She dedicated herself to community service and creating change in Alabama, and she quickly distinguished herself as one of the only black public finance lawyers in the entire state.

Terri is the rare rock-star candidate who has a personal understanding of the struggles in her district and the political/professional know-how to change the tides. Alabama needs her in Washington – stat. We’ll be debuting more video pieces on Terri Sewell in the next few days, so stay tuned. Learn more about Terri at her website.

With only 17 women in the U.S. Senate, we need to keep a close watch on every one of their races to ensure we do not lose any ground in the fight for political parity. Tomorrow Senator Patty Murray of Washington will officially have a tough challenger as Dino Rossi is expected to announce his Senate candidacy.

Rossi, a two-time gubernatorial candidate and former State Senator from 1997-2003, has considerably less elected experience than Murray, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 1993. And – let’s be honest – it’s a little late in the year to launch a Senate campaign. However, polls indicate this race could be competitive. We will keep you updated as the race develops, however we would hate to see Washington, which distinguishes itself with two female Senators (Murry and Maria Cantwell) and a female Governor (Gov. Christine Gregoire), lose such a strong legislator as Murray.

In the hotly anticipated special election in Hawaii’s 1st District, State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa took second place in a strong showing with over 30% of the votes. Keep in mind that a last minute poll put her at 17% - confirming our earlier suspicion that polling in this race was unreliable at best. Hanabusa came out ahead of her Democratic opponent, Ed Case, defying the expectations of the party establishment.

Hanabusa made a veiled comment to this effect after the election results were released:

“Some told us that we shouldn’t be in this race. They told us to sit on the sidelines. They insisted that we were going to fail. But momentum has been on our side, and continues to build to our advantage.”

Although the seat will go to Charles Djou for the next few months, Hanabusa is now well-positioned for the Democratic Primary in September, and a 1-on-1 style General Election to determine who will represent Hawaii for the full 2011-2012 term.

So how does Hanabusa feel about taking on Djou, who will have the dubious distinction of being the sitting Congressperson with the lowest percentage of electoral support in the country?

“I said it before, and I’m saying it again, I’m in this race until the end, and I’m in this race to win.”

Congratulations to Hanabusa on such a strong showing in the special election. Her fighting spirit will carry her onward as this unpredictable election takes yet another turn.

Hawaii and Washington are on the edge of their seats this weekend – and even the pundits are stumped. Results will be announced on Saturday in State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa’s race for the U.S. House in Hawaii. This is the most unpredictable race we can expect this year, with three major party candidates, no official election day, and some very questionable meddling from national parties. However, I want to step back from the political drama for a moment and remember why the Women’s Campaign Forum was so impressed with Hanabusa from the beginning of her race and highlight why she would be such a strong leader for Hawaii in U.S. Congress.

Hanabusa is a proven leader who has broken new ground for women in Hawaii. She is in her 4^th year as President of the Hawaii State Senate. She is the first woman to hold this position in Hawaii, and the first Asian-American woman to lead a state legislature in the entire country. Prior to that Hanabusa served in a duel capacity as Senate Judiciary Chair and Senate Majority Leader.

Throughout all this, Hanabusa has fought for women’s rights with unwavering dedication. Hanabusa is not the type of person to sit back and be a rubber stamp for the establishment – she is a trailblazer and a fighter who will take Washington by storm.

The Women’s Campaign Forum is honored to stand with Colleen Hanabusa on the eve of the special elections. Hanabusa has been an inspiration to women and girls in Hawaii and throughout the country. Win or lose – we need her in public office.

Tomorrow is primary day in Pennsylvania, Oregon, Arkansas and Kentucky – a big day to be sure, with a few exciting big-ticket races. However, one of my favorite things about working for WCF is that we pay close attention to the down-ticket races. As I see it, there are three main reasons I’m glad WCF endorses at all levels of office.

1. The down-ticket races are often the ones that make the biggest difference in our day to day lives.

2. Essential facets of reproductive freedom are being fought on the state and local levels. You only need to look at recent events in Oklahoma (and in the 29 states that are considering banning abortion from their healthcare exchanges) to understand how important it is to elect more pro-choice women to state legislatures.

3. Women often move up from local, to state, to federal elected office. If we can foster strong campaigns and support candidates on down-ticket races, those women have a higher likelihood of going on to run strong federal and statewide campaigns. It’s called filling the pipeline, and we’re all about it.

With all that in mind, I want to spotlight Joelle Davis, an amazing WCF-Endorsed Candidate for Oregon House of Representatives, District 37, who faces a primary race tomorrow. Davis currently serves as a City Councilor in Tualatin, Oregon, and as board member on the Human Rights Council of Washington County. She is also a union member and the Co-Executive Director of the Association of Engineering Employees of Oregon. Davis is a graduate of the prestigious Emerge America training program, a nine month intensive political training for women.

What I especially respect about Davis is that on her campaign website she does not waver an inch on reproductive justice: “Joelle will ALWAYS protect a woman’s right to choose.” Many state and local candidates shy away from talking about reproductive choices directly, however I believe it is important to know exactly where a candidate stands with regards to such an important issue.

The race is close, and local newspaper The West Linn Tidings notes that all three candidates are strong; however, Davis is the only candidate with elected experience. I hope you’ll take some time to learn more about Davis on her website. I am so proud that WCF is able to endorse women like Joelle Davis, who I may never have learned about otherwise. Go get ‘em tomorrow Joelle!

Last week we told you to urge the DCCC to support a woman for David Obey’s Congressional seat in Wisconsin’s first district. This week we’re happy to share that one of the women we profiled, State Senator Julie Lassa, is picking up steam and support after officially announcing her candidacy.

The Buzz is all about Julie Lassa

Senator Lassa is in her third term and formerly served two terms in the State Assembly. Lassa is a leader in the Senate, where she chairs the Committee on Economic Development. Who better to serve Wisconsin during tough times than an expert legislator with a background in business and economic revitalization?

A quick glance at recent legislation sponsored or authored by Senator Lassa tells you how committed she is to serving Wisconsin’s families: There are measures to protect children from harmful chemicals in consumer goods, help parents save on college tuitions, raise heart disease awareness, and create jobs through renovations on historic buildings.

Roll Call quotes a senior Democratic source in Wisconsin who attests the Julie will be “someone in the mold of Dave Obey who is going to carry on his legacy of fighting for the working families of Wisconsin.”

Things are far from certain in this race, but we’re heartened to hear all the buzz surrounding Senator Lassa. Don’t let this rare opportunity slip away – tell the DCCC AND the Wisconsin Democrats to support a woman in David Obey’s seat.

Thumbs Up for women David Obey!

When Rep. David Obey (D-WI), the third most senior member of Congress, announced his retirement this Wednesday, it sent shockwaves through Capital. Everyone wants to know: who will succeed this Congressional stalwart? I say, support a woman! A lot of names are being thrown around, including some amazing women. Given the recent record of women being cast aside by the establishment, wouldn’t this be a great opportunity for a woman to get a leg up? Check out some of the possible candidates below, and send an email to the DCCC. Tell them, “I want a woman in David Obey’s seat!”

State Senator Julie Lassa was elected to the State Assembly in 1998, and moved up to the State Senate to represent District 24 in 2003. Her professional background is in business and she is Chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Development.

Attorney Christine Bremer of Wasau, Wisconsin is one of two principal Attorneys for the law firm Bremer and Trollop. She focuses on personal injury, malpractice, and worker’s compensation law.

State Rep. Donna Seidel is serving in her third term representing Wisconsin’s 85th Assembly District. Prior to her election she spent 16 years as Marathon County Clerk of Courts, and is the former President of the Women’s Community Board of Directors in Wasau.

State Rep. Ann Hraychuck was elected to represent Wisconsin’s 28th Assembly District. She has an impressive three decade background in Law Enforcement: Hraychuck was one of 2 female Sheriffs in the state from 2001-2007, and she was a Sensitive Crimes Investigator for Polk County for 18 years. In 1991 she received the Medal of Valor for giving aid to a fellow officer who had been wounded.

State Rep. Amy Sue Vruwink was elected to represent Wisconsin’s 70th Assembly District in 2002. She is a former staffer for Congressman Obey, and her time working with his constituents sparked her passion for public service. Prior to that she worked for the Minnesota Farm Bureau.

With a talent pool so deep, wouldn’t it be fantastic to have a woman fill the shoes of this powerful Congressman? Tell the DCCC you what you think!