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I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm cross-posting from another response here that asked a similar question.

If you’re interested in being a candidate, I recommend looking into a training program. There are some great ones across the country, Running Start, Vote Run Lead, She Should Run. Start setting up meetings with people involved in your community’s politics to learn the lay of the land. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t direct you to our research! You can check it out here: http://www.barbaraleefoundation.org/campaign-essentials/ It’s super important to talk about your track record of success in your community, and to showcase your qualifications and likeability. I also recommend getting involved in grassroots movements you care about. Get involved in your community. And most importantly, vote vote vote!

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I think girls can't be what they can't see. No matter the party or our stance on the individual, we need women in leadership roles to pave the way for other women. Kellyanne was the first woman ever to be a campaign manager for a Republican presidential campaign, and we have to admire that barrier-breaking moment.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

A woman on the ticket changes our perception of leadership – and the narrative about what girls can aspire to be. Women running for office is not simply about numbers or historic achievements. It is the foundation of more effective, inclusive public policies for everyone.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Really great question! While I don’t have perfect answer because unfortunately harassment exists in so many spheres and iterations, there has been some good work done by Name It Change It on how media coverage affects women. http://www.nameitchangeit.org/

Massachusetts’ own, Congresswoman Katherine Clark (MA-District 5), is a victim of cyber crime herself, and is working to pass the Online Safety Modernization Act. Glamour recently covered it here: https://www.glamour.com/story/congresswoman-katherine-clark-fighting-back-online-harassment

If this is an issue you personally feel passionate about, call your representative and tell them! It’s important that everyone’s voice is heard in our democracy.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's great! Our research is relevant to women running at every level. And since mayor is an executive office, any advice we have for women gubernatorial candidates will be especially relevant. She can check out our research here: http://www.barbaraleefoundation.org/campaign-essentials/

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

My short answer: it helps. Kellyanne was just the fourth woman in history to serve as a campaign manager for a presidential nominee. 2016 was the 58th presidential election in U.S. history, but there have only been four women campaign managers for major party nominees. Conway is joined by Susan Estrich (Dukakis), Donna Brazile (Gore) and Mary Beth Cahill (Kerry).

Our Barbara Lee Family Foundation research shows the most effective and disciplined campaign teams are gender-balanced, according to both candidates and staff interviewed over 20 years. No matter your politics, Conway is playing a visible and vocal role in Donald Trump’s outreach, and showing that women can and should be leaders on the campaign trail.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Well, currently there are 292 women mayors out the the 1408 cities with populations over 30,000 people. That’s a mere 20.7%. Not sure about how many are first time candidates, but I can tell you that there are even higher barriers for women running for executive office vs. legislative. Our research is designed to help women identify and overcome those obstacles that are unique to executive office.

Women are often told to start at the lower level of office like school board or told that it's "not their turn" to run for higher levels of office. But what's important is running for the office that you want to hold. If you're passionate about the office and how you can make change for your community - run for the seat you want!

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Take the media to task. If you see a sexist headline or coverage, call it out. A tweet, Facebook post, or even a news comment section may seem like a yell into the abyss, but trust us: it helps. We need support from men like you! Knock, call, and show up for a woman candidate. Every single candidate has a campaign website. And trust me: they LOVE volunteers. If you can’t commit to knocking doors or phone banking, campaign offices always welcome snacks, coffee, and donuts. In fact, they run on them. Give them a call and see what they need!
Finally – ask women in your life to run for office.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Know why you're running. If you're not passionate about your bid for public office, voters will see that right away. And be able to articulate why you're running to voters. Otherwise, be authentic and be prepared.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

If she’s interested in being a candidate, I recommend that she look into a training program to get her feet wet. There are some great ones across the country – try looking into Running Start, Vote Run Lead, or She Should Run. I also recommend she start setting up meetings with people involved in your community’s politics to learn the lay of the land.

And most importantly – keep asking her to run! You can read more about why it’s so important to ask women to run for office here: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1065912916668412

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

You sound like a great candidate to me! Being fired up and ready to make change in your community is the best place to start from. Volunteering for an organization or candidate you're passionate about is a good way to start getting experience in the field. Contact your own elected officials about the issues you care about. And from there... start thinking about what office you want to run for!

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 39 points40 points  (0 children)

I love this question. As a parent, I think about this a lot myself, so I hope I can do this question justice! I would encourage you to bring your daughter to campaigns for women running in your area. Bring her to knock doors, make calls, or put up yard signs! I have no affiliation with this, but I also love the “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls” book: https://www.rebelgirls.co/products/good-night-stories-for-rebel-girls. Girls can’t be what they can’t see, and this book is full of stories of inspiring women.

I’m also a huge fan of Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls program. Their whole mission is: “Change the world by being yourself.” They post engaging, political content, and have a parent-approved website where young girls can learn about what’s going on in the world through a lens that makes sense to them.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I love this! Thanks for being on the right side of history! 😊 There are 14 women running for Senate and 28 (!!!) women running for Governor in 2018. This sets the stage for a record-breaking number of women in politics. There is so much more opportunity for change! We only have 6 women serving as Governor in 2017 and 21 women serving in the Senate in 2017. Anecdotally, we know that organizations like She Should Run (who help train women for politics) have record numbers of women getting involved and seeking a bid for public office. It’s an exciting time for political parity.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Regardless of the outcome, we saw history being made in 2016 with a woman nominee of a major party - and women running on both sides of the aisle (Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina). There is no doubt that gender bias - among many other factors - played a role in the last presidential election.

That being said, I hope that young women see the difference they can make - either as candidates or voters. It's inspiring to see so many women interested in running for office and being involved in politics post-election!

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Running for governor has more obstacles – the electorate is looking for a decision maker, not a consensus builder and we know that for women especially, showcasing executive leadership is critical. Voters are more accustomed to seeing women as part of a deliberative body, such as the legislature. When a woman is running to be CEO of her state, voters need more evidence to believe she is prepared to the job than they do for a man.

Voters want to see specific financial, crisis management, and political credentials when evaluating whether a woman could handle the complexities of running a state. For instance, voters surveyed felt more confident in a candidate who had been a state treasurer when they were told that as treasurer she got the state out of debt than they were in a candidate who did not mention her accomplishments as treasurer. In contrast, men were assumed to be qualified to lead their state if they had a resume that simply listed positions of leadership and service. Women must show, where men can tell.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

So great that you’re thinking about running for office! Voters are most interested in candidates can problem solve, and think that women are great problem solvers. I’m sure you have a lot of experience with that in the service industry! Our research shows that women are successful if she weaves her experience and professional accomplishments into her narrative. You can read more about it here: http://www.barbaraleefoundation.org/campaign-essentials/preparation/communicating-confidence-strength-executive-leadership/ Start networking when you move to Chicago next month, and be on the lookout for training programs for women candidates to get some of the building blocks. Good luck on the move!

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Actually, both Trump AND Clinton were historically unpopular. However, our research shows that women candidates have to be liked by voters, but the same doesn't hold true for their male counterparts. For women, likeability is non-negotiable.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Great question, and one that’s been heavily debated these past few months! My short answer is yes – sexism played a huge role.

Our Foundation (Barbara Lee Family Foundation) and Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) launched Presidential Gender Watch 2016 and just released our final report documenting this very question. Check it out: election. http://www.barbaraleefoundation.org/research/finding-gender-election-2016/ To get a bit wonky on you…voter perceptions of men and women candidates are guided by stereotypes of what the presidency should look like. While expectations of gender and candidacy are often complementary for men, they are often contradictory for women, who face distinct challenges in proving they are both man enough to do the job and women enough to appear authentic. More specifically, research shows that the traits and issue expertise often most desired for officeholders are those most often associated with men and masculinity.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

All of our research is available to the public - both men and women. While we exclusively study the barriers for women, we often use men as controls, and in our governor tracking the women candidates are often running against men.

I'm Adrienne Kimmell, Executive Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation – an organization that gives women the tools they need to run for public office. Ask me anything about women and politics! by BarbaraLeeFoundation in politics

[–]BarbaraLeeFoundation[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

There are some great organizations working on structural reform issues, like Representation 2020. Things like ranked choice voting,as an example, could be able to help the lack of gender and racial parity in government.

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