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 Rebecca Freedholm, WCF Communications Fellow

Krystal Ball, the Democratic Congressional nominee in Virginia’s 1st district, recently released a brilliant video that functions as a witty commentary on Congressman Rob Wittman’s lack of accessibility. The video, entitled “On the Road With Rob,” features Ball toting a cardboard cutout of her opponent around the district to stand in his place since he has been so unresponsive to constituents.

“After numerous complaints that your congressman refuses to answer your emails, answer your calls or show up to explain his votes, we decided to bring Rob on the road so people across the 1st District of Virginia would finally have a chance to have their representative listen to there concerns.”

The video not only succeeds in humorously highlighting Wittman’s detachment from the people he represents, but also demonstrates Ball’s own approachable nature. Ball is a young, progressive, and accessible candidate who cares about connecting to her constituents.

Ball runs under the slogan, “a fresh voice from Virginia,” and that is certainly what she is. If elected, Ball will be the first woman to represent Virginia in both the House and the Senate. She will also be the youngest woman ever to serve on the United States Congress.

As a young, progressive candidate, Ball could make a significant difference in a district that has not elected a Democrat since 1977. Despite the district’s tendency to vote for Republican candidates, it is still considered a relative swing state since it includes parts of both northern and southern Virginia (areas that have discordant political views). Ball remains positive about her chances, maintaining that “the people here are getting past the D and the R and they really value someone who can think for herself.”

Ball has a reason to be optimistic. For a newcomer, her fundraising efforts have been extremely impressive. Her campaign has “put up big numbers,” and even more remarkable are the unique techniques she’s used to achieve these numbers. As part of her fundraising strategy, the campaign concocted the Krystal Ball Student Loan Challenge, in which she promised up to $50,000 to pay off the school loans of the young person who raised the most money for her campaign.

Ball is eager to connect with her constituents, and is committed to serving the people of the community she hopes to represent. As a young mother, Ball has an incentive for improving the education and healthcare systems and strives to shape a better future for the next generation. She is also dedicated to women’s issues and seeks to create a future where her “daughter has equal representation in our society.”

Krystal Ball presents a challenge to removed, unresponsive incumbent Rob Wittman. She is devoted to the people of Virginia, and looks forward to actively representing them in Congress:

“When our founding fathers first dreamed of this nation, they did not imagine a Congress filled with career politicians, marching their way up the seniority ladder. They imagined citizen servants taking time from their lives to devote to their fellow citizens in the service of this country. I believe in that tradition and I pledge to make you a part of our government again.”

This post was submitted by Jean Qiao, WCF communications fellow

On Sunday, March 20th, Krystal Ball’s primary opponent Scott Robinson announced the suspension of his campaign—thereby making Ball the presumptive democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in Virginia’s 1st district.

Ball has been defying the odds throughout her race; if elected she will be the first woman ever to represent Virginia in both the House and the Senate. In addition, at the age of 28, she will be the youngest woman to ever be elected to Congress.

In one of the worst economies since the Great Depression, there has never been a bigger need for someone who understands firsthand the workings of small businesses and how to prosper. As an accountant and small-business owner herself, Ball is dedicated to job creation and supporting all businesses without the corruption of special interest groups and lobbyists.

Ball also has a unique perspective on educational inequality. As the daughter of two working class individuals who were the first in their families to attend college, Ball is fully aware that education is the root of  success. With a daughter of her own who will be starting school in the near future, Ball is determined to raise the standards of education in the U.S. by investing in teachers and fighting for equality in all public schools.

Click here to learn more about Ball and her campaign.

Ball will be the official democratic nominee after the Virginia primary election on Tuesday, June 8th. However, it is believed that her opponent will be incumbent Congressman Rob Wittman, who campaigned against President Obama in 2008, calling Obama’s campaign “the socialist power-grab of B. Hussein Obama.”

Virginia is an unpredictable swing state, especially in recent years. Its first district presents a unique scenario, as it includes both parts of northern and southern Virginia—areas that hold very differing political views. The last time a Democrat held this seat was 1977. This plus the recent surge of Tea Party-type activists against the Obama Administration should prove to make this a challenging election for Ball.

We need the perspective of young women in Congress, and Virginia certainly needs a Representative who will fight for women’s health choices instead of taking them away like Governor Bob McDonnell, Lieutenant Governor Bolling, and Attorney General Cuccinelli.

Edie Fraser and Dr. Janette Harris with Rising Stars

In an event that brought together both established and rising leaders, the Inaugural Hill’s Got Talent Happy Hour on Wednesday was a “spirited” success! Over 200 people attended to raise their glasses in a toast to the next generation of national female leaders. Chiefs of Staff on the hill recognized their female staffers as Rising Stars in the political arena.

Not only did the Hill’s Got Talent recognize the 48 young women named as Rising Stars, it connected them and other young women in attendance with elected officials, candidates, and leaders of national organizations.

Congresswoman and WCF-Endorsed Alumni, Dina Titus (D-NV), along with Congressman James McGovern (D-MA) attended, enforcing the WCF values of leaders mentoring and supporting the next generation of female talent.

Rep. Dina Titus, Ann McLane Kuster, Sam Bennett, Krystal Ball

WCF-endorsed candidates Ann McLane Kuster, (the daughter of a WCF founder) running for Congress in New Hampshire’s 2nd district, and Krystal Ball, running for Congress in Virginia’s 1st district, had the opportunity to network, support their campaigns, and inspired the young women present to seek office themselves.

Our Rising Stars also had the opportunity to met legends Alice Cohan, Political Director of the Feminist Majority Foundation, and Karen Mulhauser, former NARAL and Planned Parenthood leader as well as founder of Mulhauser and Associates.

Our Special Guests and Celebrity Bartenders served up drinks and connections:

• Dr. Janette Hoston Harris, the first City Historian of Washington, DC and president of J. H. Harris & Associates.
• Edie Fraser, Chair of the Diversity Executive Search Practice and Managing Director of Diversified Search Ray & Berndtson.
• Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, Director of the Research, Public Policy, and Information Center for African American Women for the National Council of Negro Women.
• Dean Thomas, National Beer Wholesalers Association

In a brief but stirring speaking program, WCF President and CEO Siobhan “Sam” Bennett spoke of her own experience running for office. She explained how vital it is that those like her, who have “taken a machete to the jungle” of political leadership encourage, support, and help the next generation of women leaders.

Kalah Auchincloss, WCF Board Member and Chair of the WCF Next Generation Program emphasized that women’s leadership must be passed on, generation helping generation.

WCF Board Members also graced the room with their presence including Board Member Margaret Kavalaris. Thanks to them and our incredible partners, especially the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who so generously hosted the event at their picturesque headquarters. Without the support of the board and our partners, this incredible opportunity would not have been possible.

If you’re a young woman interested in the incredible networking and mentoring opportunities that WCF offers through programs like Hills Got Talent, please check out our Next Generation Program.

We look forward to celebrating the hard work and accomplishments of women on the Hill in the years to come!