Election Insights

Win or lose, women candidates for elected office agree that we need more women on future ballots. (Credit: 5chw4r7z, Flickr) Right now, we're existing in an especially tense and unstable "in between." We know what's to come next January – yet at the same time, we have no idea what's to come. Once-again President-elect Donald Trump has already promised mass deportations and a gutting of the Department of Education. His followers have already shown us shades of their callousness to come, in telling women that consent is now a matter of, in their disgusting words, "your body, my choice." But we have no clue if there is a rock-bottom still looming below. At present, I – and most every politically engaged progressive I've spoken with – is in a place of: "What can I do about it?" Some of us are taking quiet moments to regroup, to prepare bodies and minds and spirits for a long haul. And then there are people like me, who have spent the past week being rather vocal – encouraging others against the allure of quick fixes, while also howling against each new sign of injustice that crops up in the social media feeds we (fine, I) can't quite step away from. There is another option, though. As a number of the women candidates I've spoken with throughout 2024 have proposed, we might also consider running for office ourselves. Not all of them won their races. Regardless, they agree on the power of entering the political fray so that women can speak their minds – especially in a nation that's poised to grow ever more hostile toward us – and offer solutions from a still-woefully-underrepresented point of view. Below, we've featured five women candidates' insights, which might galvanize others to vie for seats that are opening up – or that desperately need new occupants – as a means of fighting back. Keep in mind, Vice President Kamala Harris may not have won the presidency, but plenty of Democrats emerged victorious in state and local races. Those who feel called to politics – or even those who might never have turned the idea over in their minds – should find heart and hope in these women's words of experience. In the meantime, I’ll find some comfort in looking forward to writing about your future campaigns.

Election Insights

We Asked 5 Women Candidates: Why Should More Women Run for Office?

The Story Exchange

Election Insights

We Asked 5 Women Candidates: Why Should More Women Run for Office?

The Story Exchange

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