(Cross posted on the SheShouldRun.com blog)
Two months ago, we started a campaign to recruit 1,000 pro-choice women to run for office. Since then, over 800 women have been nominated. Hillary Clinton has endorsed our effort. Organizations like NEA, Teach for America and Oxygen Network have pitched in. It’s been an amazing ride, and now I’m here to tell you how it’s going, to get your advice and to find 200 more women who should be running for office.
Where did this all come from? Why is it so important that we hit 1000?
Two percent.
That’s the proportion of Congress in U.S. history that’s been made up of women.
Women’s representation in public office has improved over our nation’s two centuries of existence, but it’s still nowhere near where it should be. Today with women making up more than 50% of the population, just 25% of all elected offices in the United States are held by women.
The implications are clear: We need to encourage more talented women to run for public office.
That’s why Women’s Campaign Forum launched the She Should Run campaign this summer. We are committed to closing the gender gap in U.S. politics, so that all Americans can benefit from the unique skills and perspectives that pro-choice women have to offer. With She Should Run, we are collecting the nominations of 1,000 talented, ambitious women across the country who would made excellent public officeholders.
When we started the She Should Run campaign – we just weren’t sure what to expect – no one had ever tried this kind of effort before. Today, over 800 pro-choice women have been nominated by their friends, family, co-workers, or themselves to run for office. Women from all walks of life have been nominated – lawyers, teachers, businesswomen, mothers and community activists. We have been overwhelmed not just by the number of women who have responded so positively about the campaign, but by the heartfelt and thoughtful nominations we’ve received time and time again.
Consider Stacy Schneider. A New York City lawyer originally from New Orleans, Stacy is an active member of the New York Democratic Party and a supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton. She even started a Facebook group called “I’m a Girl and I Vote” to encourage young women to start voting at an early age.
Through the She Should Run campaign, eight different people nominated Stacy to run for office. Discovering that she is held in such high regard by her friends, family, and colleagues, Stacy is taking her nomination very seriously.
This is exactly what She Should Run is all about — multiplied by a thousand. As Women’s Campaign Forum Board Member Sara Love said,
“This project has helped us identify hundreds of women from all walks of life who are leaders in their communities, many of whom are considering a run for office for the very first time. These women are enthusiastic and driven, but many just don’t know where to start. That’s why WCF is taking this momentum and inspiration to the next level.”
Women’s Campaign Forum is doing more than just collecting nominations. Once our She Should Run nominees decide to become candidates, we will provide them with the critical encouragement, support, and resources they need for success. By supporting women up and down the ballot, we’re helping to build the pipeline for the future leaders of our country.
Join the She Should Run effort by nominating a woman you know who has the skills, the experience, and the drive to become one of those leaders. Maybe she’s your mom. Maybe she’s your boss, or your mom, or your wife. Or maybe she’s you.
As Senator Hillary Clinton said,
“If you turn on the evening news and wish that the news were different. If you watch the public officials representing you and wish they were doing a better job. Or if you wish that somebody in public office were standing up for your values, your concerns, your future. Maybe it is time that you dared to compete too.”
Submit your nomination, and send a woman in your life on her way toward becoming the public leader she was always meant to be.