Women and Politics

This post was submitted by Sophie Shulman, WCF Communications Fellow

Krystal Ball, a candidate for Congress in Virginia’s 1st district, recently introduced an ad campaign targeting her opponent. The campaign, “On the Road with Rob,” follows Ball as she visits Congressman Rob Wittman’s offices and meets with constituents. More often than not, she finds his district office empty and that Virginians don’t relate to Wittman’s policies.

In response, the Wittman camp released the following statement:

“As cute as our opponent may think she is with a life size cut out of Rob…”

While Wittman’s spokesperson was ostensibly referring to Ball’s videos, and not her appearance, there was clearly an inference about Ball’s physical presence—which has already gained attention in the mainstream media. In essence, Wittman is relying on the stereotype that an attractive woman cannot be an effective leader—rather than addressing the substantive aspects of Ball’s criticisms.

Unfortunately, this behavior is far too common in the modern political world. Last week, a Colorado Senate candidate, Ken Buck, tried to argue that he deserved Coloradans votes over his female opponent:

“Because I do not wear high heels.”

This is not an acceptable reaction in a civilized political debate. The immediate decision for many male candidates when faced with an aggressive female candidate is to turn to a sexist and unfair attack in an attempt to discredit their opponent. If their rival was another man, they would be forced to respond to the actual criticisms—and be held accountable for their weaknesses as a candidate. Instead, female candidates are threatened based on their appearance, wardrobe, and personality, rather than their qualifications.

Indeed, this was also an issue in Elena Kagan’s nomination to the Supreme Court. She was attacked time and again for her physical appearance and marital status, while her conservative opponents failed to acknowledge her outstanding legal credentials. It seems that Kagan’s inherent qualifications have overcome the sexist criticisms leveled at her, and I hope the same will be true for Ball, and all the other fantastic women running this year.

Krystal Ball, a certified public accountant, business owner, mother, and Virginia native, is committed to fiscal responsibility, building a secure nation for her children, and fighting for the interests of Virginia’s 1st district. These issues should be what this campaign is about—and not about Ball’s gender or appearance.

This post was submitted by Sophie Shulman, WCF Communcations Fellow

This November, women in American politics have the opportunity to break yet another glass ceiling. According to the Center for American Women and Politics, eight states have the potential to elect their first female governor ever. 26 states have never had a female governor, and, currently, there are only six women serving as governors in the entire country. These statistics, in conjunction with women’s 17% representation in Congress, paint a dismal picture of women’s participation in the political system.

In many ways, women’s representation at the state level is actually more important than at the federal level. While Senators and Congresswomen tend to make more impressive role models, state legislators and governors often have more impact on women’s day-to-day lives. Indeed, Governor Charlie Crist’s brave decision last month to veto a bill that would require pre-abortion ultrasounds is just one example of governors providing the first line of defense for women’s rights. Here at WCF, we work to elect women up and down the ticket to ensure that state legislatures and governments are also filled with female candidates that are willing to fight for women.

But there’s another reason why we’re working to get more women into governors’ mansions. In fact, over half of the U.S. presidents elected in the 20th century were former governors. The executive and leadership experience that governors gain while serving in the highest state office is invaluable—and is seen as the path to the presidency. If we someday hope to elect a female president, we have to work today to secure female governors.

And it appears that 2011 could be a groundbreaking year for women governors. In addition to the eight states that may elect their first female governors, two of the sitting governors don’t face re-election this cycle, and another ten states have female candidates, many of which look to be likely winners in November. If elected, these women will beat the 2004 and 2006 record of nine sitting female governors.

Here at WCF, we’ve endorsed five of these outstanding women: Libby Mitchell (ME), Margaret Anderson Kelliher (MN), Diane Denish (NM), Deb Markowitz (VT), and sitting Governor Bev Purdue (NC). We’re also supporting Linda Chavez-Thompson and Yvette McGee Brown who are hoping to become Lieutenant Governors, a great stepping-stone to governor and beyond.

While we’re thrilled that so many women are taking a chance and choosing to run for office, it’s a shame that WCF cannot endorse every woman who chooses to run for governor. We’ve selected these candidates because they’ve shown their commitment to promoting women’s rights, through their political, professional, and personal lives.

It’s fantastic to see that progress is being made in state legislatures, governor’s offices and at the federal level. But perhaps we shouldn’t be so eager to celebrate the fact that women have the potential to make up—at most—24% of the nation’s governors in 2011. We’ll continue to do our best to elect our talented women candidates—but we all need to work harder to show how much we want and need more women in government.

This post was submitted by Sophie Shulman, WCF Communications Fellow

In 2009, our political team at WCF identified Beth Krom, the former Mayor of Irvine, California, and current City Councilwoman, as a promising candidate for California’s 48th district. WCF endorsed her candidacy early on, and we’ve been helping her gain national attention ever since. This morning, we were thrilled to hear that Krom was named Democracy for America’s Grassroots All-Star.

Here at WCF, we’ve fought for Krom because she is committed to the advancement of women in leadership, and has proven to be a strong and capable representative of Irvine’s interests. During her tenure as Mayor, Irvine was named the “Safest City in America” four times, and also as one of the “Greenest Cities in America.” Running in a Republican area, Krom has won the past five elections in which she has participated, showing that she knows what it takes to run an effective campaign.

As a former teacher, business owner, volunteer, and mother, Krom’s political and life experience is well suited to address the complex needs of her constituents. While we’ve known all along that Krom has what it takes to be a great leader, this impressive victory shows that she has the grassroots support necessary to provide a tough challenge to the incumbent, John Campbell.

John Campbell is one of the most anti-woman candidates currently serving in Congress. In a recent blog post, he suggested eliminating family planning funding under Title X, and his votes speak for themselves: against equal pay for women and for employee discrimination.  Although Republicans have historically held this seat, Krom has what it takes to convince Orange County that she’s the right choice.

Krom has already convinced numerous organizations across the country that she’ll fight for what matters. In addition to WCF, she’s received endorsements from the American Federation of Teachers, Human Rights Campaign, National Organization for Women, Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, and National Women’s Political Caucus. And most recently, Krom convinced the over 66,000 voters in DFA’s Grassroots All-Star Competition that she has the most effective team on-the-ground to fight for progressive leadership in Congress.

DFA Chair, Jim Dean, shared his impressions of Krom’s campaign:

”She has 300 volunteers on the ground (many of them local DFA members) who are door knocking, phone banking, and helping get her message out to the district. She also has city leaders who support her and volunteer to coordinate community events. These leaders have helped ensure Beth reaches each and every community throughout the district.”

Krom’s ability to reach out to her community and her strong record in California are major reasons why WCF has supported her for so long. We’re glad to see that more national organizations are getting on board, and we’ll keep fighting for her until November—and beyond!

This post was submitted by Ariana Kelly, WCF Endorsed Candidate for Maryland State Delegate

Last Tuesday was the political candidate filing deadline.  We now know there are eleven Democratic candidates running for the open Delegate seat here in Maryland’s District 16.  Two incumbents (Del. Susan Lee and Del. Bill Frick) are also running for re-election, making a total of thirteen candidates for three seats.

Interestingly, I am the only woman in the field competing for the open seat. That’s right, it’s me and ten guys.  Here in Bethesda, this is shocking.  Our community has a tremendous number of well-educated and accomplished women who would make excellent legislators.  That’s why, historically, Montgomery County has been a leader in electing women.

Unfortunately, we are no longer leaders. We have seen a significant decrease in the number of women serving in our House of Delegates in the last eight years years. Delegate Marilyn Goldwater retired after a tremendous career in 2007, the same year Nancy King was appointed to the Senate, leaving her House of Delegates seat. Beloved Delegate Jane Lawton passed away while in office in 2008, and the late Delegate Jean Cryor, a moderate Republican and woman’s rights advocate, was defeated in 2006.

Our Montgomery County House Delegation in Annapolis now has seventeen men and only seven women. In other words our delegation is now only 29% women, down from 46% (11 women) in 2002**.

I have worked in Annapolis, and seen first hand how the scarcity of elected women impacts public policy.  I know women’s voices are needed in the halls of Annapolis, and that’s one of the reasons I decided to run.

No, I don’t think you should support me simply because I am a woman. You should support me because I am a qualified woman, with extensive experience working on the issues that matter to Montgomery County families. I also have strong values, good judgment, coalition building skills, and a track record of fiscal responsibility.

But I do think everyone supporting this campaign, from volunteers to donors and voters, can also be proud that we are working to increase the representation of women in Annapolis. With our success, I hope we will also inspire little girls and grown women to jump into future races so we can rebuild a critical mass of women in Annapolis.

**These numbers do not include Delegate Karen Britto, who was recently appointed to temporarily fill the seat of Delegate Bill Bronrott.  Del. Bronrott stepped down after the legislative session to join the Obama Administration. Delegate Britto is not running for election this fall- I am running for the seat vacated by Del. Bronrott.

Crossposted from Ariana Kelly for Delegate

This post was submitted by Sophie Shulman, WCF Communications Fellow

Most 23-year-olds have little idea of what they would like to do with their lives. Representative Alisha Thomas Morgan, on the other hand, won her first race for the Georgia House of Representatives. In 2002, Morgan became the first African-American elected to represent Cobb County in the Georgia House, and, to this day, she is still the youngest woman in the body. Georgia, which is ranked 38th in the nation for the percentage of women in its state legislature, needs more women at all levels of government. Without leaders like Morgan securing lower elected office, there is no way that we can achieve gender parity across the board.

Today, she’ll face off in the Democratic primary—which will more than likely decide the general election in November. If she wins, this will be her fifth term in the House, allowing her to continue her leadership on minority, youth, and education issues. In fact, Morgan has shown amazing initiative, helping to create the Young Elected Officials Network, a group focused on helping young people secure public office. She has also proven her leadership abilities in education reform, heading a statewide effort to improve Georgia’s educational system.

Born and raised in Georgia, Morgan has a deep connection to the needs of Cobb County, Georgia, and women. She has received the Outstanding Young Woman Award from the Concerned Black Clergy, the Unsung Heroine award from the Anti-Defamation League, and was elected Freshman Legislator of the Year by the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. Her advocacy for women, the environment, and social justice is evident in just a few of the organizations endorsing her: the Atlanta Stonewall Democrats, Georgia Conservation Voters, Georgia WIN List, Georgia Equality, Sierra Club, and the Women’s Campaign Forum. Morgan has also received support from the People for the American Way Action Fund, who based their endorsement on her impressive record in Georgia:

“I know that at the heart of Representative Morgan’s campaign is a commitment to ensuring that all people are protected under law.  She’s fought hard to defend a woman’s right to choose, to end discrimination against LGBT people, and to make sure working people are treated fairly on the job.  Her tenacity has made a real difference in the lives of thousands of people, and for that we should all be grateful.”

These numerous credits to her character, however, pale in comparison to the words of her daughter:

“Vote for my mommy!”

Join WCF in supporting Representative Alisha Thomas Morgan in her primary today.

This post was submitted by Sophie Shulman, WCF Communications Fellow

I hope all of you read WCF President/CEO Siobhan “Sam” Bennett’s most recent op-ed in the Huffington Post. She does an excellent job refuting Sarah Palin’s claim that her “mama grizzlies” represent the majority of American women. I completely agree with Sam that while we love how women are getting engaged in politics, this vein of political activism is actually detrimental to women’s rights and equality.

Unfortunately, Adrienne Royer at Cosmopolitan Conservative doesn’t seem to have understood this message. She read Sam’s article and declared that:

“Sam Bennett, who happens to be the executive director of the Women’s Campaign Forum, decided to issue her decree that conservative women aren’t real women.”

However, Sam’s point was that these women’s views don’t include protecting women’s rights and equality for all people. Sam actually made the argument that:

“Although most, if not all, of Sarah’s followers are Republican, that doesn’t mean they speak for all GOP women.”

Indeed, here at WCF, we’re proud to endorse Republican women that recognize the importance of allowing women to make their own health decisions. As the Republican party has become more anti-woman in its platform, this brand of Republican woman has been harder and harder to find; however, WCF has a proud history of endorsing hundreds of Republican women that were not afraid to stand up for women.

This was the crux of Sam’s argument—that anti-woman policies do not need to define conservative women. Sarah Palin’s attempt to co-opt feminism for herself and her radical followers is not a move that will serve women well.

In her post, Royer identifies herself as a pro-life woman who supports the use of contraceptives. While this is not the position that WCF has chosen, this shows the dynamic nature of this issue. Despite the experiences in her own family, Sarah Palin doesn’t support comprehensive sex education or access to contraceptives. I agree with Royer that abortion, contraception, and sex-ed:

“Are complicated issues, and ones that reflect a myriad of views even among conservative, pro-life communities.”

But I disagree with her contention that these issues don’t go hand-in-hand. The idea that access to comprehensive sexual education and contraceptives is somehow separate from other important health decisions is simply false. Conservative, anti-choice groups would like to believe that if we ignore the issue, by teaching abstinence-only sex-ed and limiting access to essential health resources, the problem will go away.

Royer criticized WCF’s use of a poll that showed that 81% of Americans support individuals making their own health choices—because it was 4 years old. I hate to break it to her, but women have needed to make these choices throughout history—and for a long time, they had to do it alone, and in a way that often endangered their lives. Perhaps she should take her own advice that:

“Women should be free to decide political views for themselves–whether they are liberal or conservative.”

I wholeheartedly agree. Women should be able to make all the same decisions that men can—including over their own bodies and health care needs. No one’s political views—Sam’s, mine, or Sarah Palin’s—should limit anyone else’s right to make their own important health choices.

This post was submitted by Sophie Shulman, WCF Communications Fellow

Earlier this week, Politics Daily released its “The Next 10 Women to Watch in Politics” list, highlighting women—other than Sarah Palin—who are likely to gain national attention in the upcoming elections. WCF-Endorsed Candidate, Terri Sewell, made the list as she campaigns for the opportunity to be the first elected Congresswoman from Alabama.

But Sewell’s impressive leadership isn’t news to us. She’s been on WCF’S list since the early days of her campaign, and we’re thrilled that she’s looking so strong heading into today’s Democratic runoff. Running in the heavily Democratic 7th district, today’s victor will likely win the general election in November. And, according to Chris Cillizza at the Fix, Sewell is the favorite to win. Indeed, Sewell was the vote leader in June’s primary, winning 36.8% of the vote. She’s also raised over seven times the amount of her opponent, Sheila Smoot.

Since her victory in June, Sewell has been collecting endorsements across the country. The Birmingham News Editorial Board recently came out in support of Sewell, arguing that:

“Sewell has the potential to be a fine, history-making congresswoman.”

She has also received campaign contributions from illustrious donors such as U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, showing Sewell’s national appeal and her proven record on progressive issues. Very early in her candidacy, Sewell also earned a ringing endorsement from women’s rights icon Lilly Ledbetter, who gained national fame for promoting pay equity in the workplace:

“Just as I was honored to support President Barack Obama for his historic election, I am happy to support Terri Sewell in her historic race to be the first woman in Alabama elected to Congress. She is best candidate to fight for the rights of all. My regret is that I can not vote for her but I can encourage others.”

These amazing women have reached out on Sewell’s behalf because they know that she’s the kind of woman we need in Congress—one who’s willing to fight for women’s issues, as she’s done throughout her legal career and in her personal life. But Sewell has also received help from Alabama’s elected officials and the people of Alabama—because she was born and raised in Selma and has shown her deep connection to her future constituents.

Here at WCF, we’re also extremely proud of Terri Sewell, and excited for her to shatter the next glass ceiling and become Alabama’s first elected Congresswoman. For months we’ve been working to help Sewell reach this point—and now’s the time for us to reach out, support Sewell, and support women everywhere.