We all know the opposition party has the power in Washington. This photo of the House Committee Chairs tells a Republican story. It also tells another story: It’s not just Republicans who hold power. It’s Republican men. Not a single committee has a woman as its chair.
You know and I know that it doesn’t have to be this way.
That it shouldn’t be this way.
And it’s unlikely to be this way going forward.
Democratic women are stepping up and stepping in.
In New York State’s Washington Country—particularly in the communities of Salem, White Creek, Greenwich, Whitehall, and Cambridge—46 percent of the Democratic candidates for office are women compared to only 25 percent of the Republican candidates.
This is huge.
Why? For one thing, local government is often a training ground for higher office. Every woman holding a position in local government is gaining the experience, track record, and know-how needed to hold higher office. It stands to reason that as more Democratic women are elected to these offices, more are likely to run and get elected to positions in state and federal government.
This is a big deal.
Why? For one thing, local government is often a training ground for higher office. Every woman holding a position in local government is gaining the experience, track record, and know-how needed to hold higher office. It stands to reason that as more Democratic women are elected to these offices, more are likely to run and get elected to positions in state and federal government.
And think about health care. Not a single woman participated in writing the GOP bill meant to repeal and replace Obamacare. The effect? No mandatory coverage for contraception, no funding for Planned Parenthood, no mandatory maternity care. As important as these matters are to women and families across the country, apparently they were not important to the men writing the bill.
It’s safe to say that when GOP men are in charge, matters that affect women go unaddressed. Matters like the continuing gender wage gap, rape and sexual assault, reproductive rights, and maternal and infant healthcare, to name just a few.
Is this an accident? The recent healthcare fiasco suggests otherwise.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could have asked GOP Senator Susan Collins to join the healthcare group writing the new law. Senator Collins has worked on healthcare for many years and has had relevant experience overseeing the Bureau of Insurance in Maine. But he didn’t. Why not? Only McConnell knows the answer to that question.
Importantly, the picture for Democrats is different. Since the Women’s March on January 21, Democratic women across the country have been making their voices heard. Take Amy McGrath, an Iraq war veteran and one of the first female fighter pilots. McGrath is running for Congress in Kentucky. Take Stacey Abrams, leader of the Georgia House of Representative Democratic Caucus. Abrams is running for state governor. And take Dayton, Ohio Mayor Nan Whaley, who is competing with fellow Democrat Connie Pillich, former state representative, to be the Democratic candidate for Governor of Ohio.
Then there’s Elissa Slotkin, former intelligence official and Middle East analyst, running for Congress from Michigan. And Jena Griswold, former voting rights lawyer for President Obama’s 2013 campaign, running for Colorado Secretary of State. And January Contreras, former assistant attorney general, running for Attorney General of Arizona. There’s also pediatrician Kim Schrier, running for Washington D.C.’s eight congressional district, and former navy pilot Mikie Sherrill running for Congress in New Jersey’s 11th district.
The list goes on to include Olivia Scott, candidate for Charlotte school board in North Carolina and Hala Ayala, a cyber security specialist with the Department of Homeland Security, running for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
New York’s Washington County candidates from Salem, White Creek, Greenwich, Whitehall, and Cambridge are in good company. Joining their colleagues from across the country, they’re running to make their government responsive to all our citizens—women and men alike.
Maybe it’s time for you to join them.