Women and Politics

Yesterday, Southern Californians voted overwhelmingly to elect WCF-endorsed Candidate Judy Chu to the U.S. House of Representatives from CA-32!  She will become the first Chinese-American woman to serve in Congress.

Chu fills a seat left open by Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, appointed by President Obama in January.  Chu served as the vice chair of the California Board of Equalization and finished atop a field of 13 candidates in the May primary.

WCF congratulates this outstanding candidate, who will take her seat as the 93rd woman in this Congress.  That means just 17% of the 111th Congress is female.  Congratulations to Chu- Congress needs a strong woman like you!

Yesterday was election day for three of WCF’s endorsed candidates - Judy Chu, Carolyn Comitta, and Susan Passoni. Two of them are likely victories, and one lost by a small margin.

Judy Chu won the special election against Sen. Gil Cedillo for the open seat left by Hilda Solis in CA’s 32nd district. However, the majority of votes needed to avoid a runoff wasn’t met, so Dr. Chu will be on the ballot again July 14. Luckily, many consider this district to be a safely Democratic, so Chu is already being predicted the winner.

Carolyn Comitta won the mayoral primary in West Chester, PA. It’s being said that a Republican candidate stepping up for election in November would be unlikely, so Comitta’s path to Mayor is looking pretty clear.

Though she garnered 46% of the primary votes, Susan Passoni didn’t get a close enough margin for a recount with opponent Aaron Michlewitz for State Rep in MA’s Third Suffolk District. WCF is proud of Susan’s race and hope she will continue to run for public office. We know Susan’s community involvement and attention to improved education, stimulating the economy, better public transportation, protecting the environment, and equal rights will make her an excellent public leader.

As “political venture capitalists,” WCF is dedicated to supporting women as they enter and remain in the political arena. We believe that focusing on the woman at all stages of her career is necessary to ensure the growth of women in public life. So win or lose, we’re proud of all of our endorsed candidates for their commitment to their communities and desire to bring their skills to the table.

If you know a qualified woman who should consider running for public office, tell her: She Should Run!

Where did May go? How is it almost over? I can’t believe that TOMORROW, the 19th, is the special election for Dr. Judy Chu.

Judy is running for Congress in CA’s 32nd district to fill the seat left when President Obama nominated Hilda Solis as the Secretary of Labor. Many women’s organizations, including WCF, have endorsed Judy, because she’s a strong candidate with a record of protecting reproductive justice.

WomenCount caught up with Dr. Chu and talked to her about women running for office. Judy said that although women are supporting each other more and more, the “Old Boys” club is still alive and well:

When my local Assembly seat opened up in 2001, I decided to run. But the Old Boy’s Network wanted a male, and they put all their resources into backing him and putting up roadblocks for me. But then there was a turning point in the race. It was when Congresswoman Hilda Solis decided to support me. Her support provided the critical boost that I needed to win.

As WCF knows all too well, running for office isn’t a common career goal for young women. Most of the time, it’s not even on the radar. Dr. Chu tells MOMocrats that it was her activism on issues like women’s rights that inspired her to build on her momentum and run for office.

I realized that it was possible for me to be a community activist too, and to be a leader in changing people’s lives for the better. I joined the movement to pass the Equal Rights Amendment for women, and then taught classes at UCLA on Asian American Women.

Though she thinks she’s the best candidate for the job, Dr. Chu also told WomenCount how important it is for women to achieve parity in public office:

The fact that we represent only 17% of Congress is outrageous. I think the more women who serve, the more our interests will be served. Not that there aren’t good progressive men fighting for women’s rights, but we bring a unique perspective that comes with being a daughter, a wife, a mother or a grandmother.

Right on. I love how Dr. Chu is speaking out on the need for women’s equality in public life. It’s truly experienced women like her that inspire women to run for office. I hope CA’s 32nd will go out and support this fabulous candidate, advocate, and women in tomorrow’s special election - Congress needs her.

One of the many pressing issues of importance to women is the environment. As women run for and enter public office, preserving our planet will hopefully be a priority for them. For example, WCF PAC endorsed congressional candidate Judy Chu has pledged to continue her fight for the environment in office.

Actress Joy Bryant speaks up with Oxfam America about how climate change is harming women around the world:

“Women in poor communities are particularly vulnerable. Because of their roles in communities and families, they often have access to less education and fewer resources, all of which makes it more difficult for them to cope.”

Joy is an Oxfam America Sisters on the Planet Ambassador - a group of American women leaders serving Oxfam’s climate change campaign.

Twitter has been buzzing with Earth Day tweets - so I just wanted to give ya’ll a few useful links about what women and progressive organizations are doing to help the environment.

The Women’s Museum - Honoring Women Environmentalists
Women’s Environment & Development Organization celebrating Mother Earth
True Majority: Tell Obama to fix the economy and energy crisis
Choices Feminist Campus - Women and Water
EarthDay.org - what you can do to help the planet
Center for American Progress - Earth Day gets boost from internet
Repower America - add your voice
Time’s colorful history of Earth Day
treehugger - 11 Environmentalist Heroes

And, just for fun: someecards.com’s Earth Day cards.