One of the biggest problems in getting people activated and plugged in to politics is identity. Let’s face it, we tend to vote for the man or woman who seems the most like “us,” whatever your demographic may be. For far too long our options at the voting booth have looked like “Vote for old white guy Democrat” or “Vote for old white guy Republican,” and the lack of variety has slowly pushed more people away from the voting booth than possibly any other issue.
We also know through study after study that the Democratic Party’s biggest support comes from the people who tend to vote the least: minorities. One of the most under-represented minorities in the higher levels of government are women. This is especially true in state executive leadership, where we currently have only ONE female Democratic governor in New Hampshire’s Maggie Hassan out of 21 Democrats in gubernatorial posts. This is such an easy change, and such a powerful message to send to minorities that the Democratic Party cares for them and represents them better than the GOP.
Of the 36 states up for gubernatorial election in 2014, there are currently only 11 top-level female Dem candidates in only 9 states. And of those 11 women, all are white with the only racial distinction being MA’s Juliette Kayyem, who claims a Lebanese heritage. In Maryland, Heather Mizeur boasts of the possibility of being one of the first openly gay governors if elected.
It begs the question: where’s the diversity? Where is the representation that we profess we are so inclusive to and claim to be capable of fostering leaders from various backgrounds?
In order to get solutions to the real problems our country faces, we need to start getting people from different backgrounds elected to office. There probably aren't many here on DailyKos who would argue with that. When we have a room full of attorneys and millionaires, we lose the perspective of many in the middle class. The older generations have little in common with the younger Americans that are inheriting this country. When the room is all white, we can't totally expect them to understand the plight of the Latina or the Africa American. And when we elect by a disproportionate level men to represent us, the needs of women fall to the backburner.
One sure-fired way to put our country back on track is to start looking at governance from a different perspective: we need to support women at the highest levels of political campaigning.
Granted, there are some candidates out there that, regardless of gender, race, age or sexuality, are just lousy candidates. I should make it absolutely clear that I don't suggest we start supporting just any woman candidate over a better-qualified man. I think that SHOULD go without saying. But we also need to start looking at the women who ARE qualified but get overlooked, and decide to start putting our efforts and energies into moving the equality agenda forward.
Just a few short months ago, I saw an absolute travesty occur in elected politics when the Democratic Party sat on their hands in New Jersey and crushed the political career of an amazing progressive candidate. State Senator Barbara Buono, who had put in the time and effort, had an impressive legislative track record, and ran a decent campaign (in spite of a behemoth of an opponent in Governor Chris Christie), got snubbed by the powers that be. Why? Her policy proposals seemed on par. She had the bona fides. But for some reason, the President refused to help her. She got no endorsement support from the Clintons. Her only A-list helper came from Corey Booker, who at the time was working his own campaign for US Senate.
Something seemed so absolutely wrong from the get-go about support for an impressive candidate.
Next time, I told myself, we're not going to see this happen.
In a way, I was right.
In the upcoming 2014 mid-term elections, 36 states will have gubernatorial elections. Here's the list of states, followed by the names of female candidates running:
Alabama - NONE
Alaska - NONE
Arizona - NONE
Arkansas - NONE
California - NONE
Colorado - NONE
Connecticut - NONE
Florida - NONE
Georgia - NONE
Hawaii - NONE
Idaho - NONE
Illinois - NONE
Iowa – MAYBE State Senator Janet Peterson
Kansas - NONE
Maine - NONE
Maryland – State Delegate Heather Mizeur
Massachusetts – Attorney General Martha Coakley, Ex-US Asst. Homeland Security Secretary Juliette Kayyem
Michigan - NONE
Minnesota - NONE
Nebraska - NONE
Nevada - NONE
New Hampshire – Governor Maggie Hassan (INCUMBENT)
New Mexico – State Senator Linda Lopez
New York - NONE
Ohio - NONE
Oklahoma - NONE
Oregon - NONE
Pennsylvania – Representative Allyson Schwartz, Lebanon County Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz
Rhode Island – State Treasurer Gina Raimondo
South Carolina - NONE
South Dakota - NONE
Tennessee - NONE
Texas – State Senator Wendy Davis
Vermont - NONE
Wisconsin - Madison School Board Member Mary Burke
Wyoming – NONE
If you hadn't noticed, there are a lot of opportunities being missed. But the few women running in 2014 offer us a glimmer of hope. Massachussetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island give us our best pickup chances this upcoming fall, and we should all take the time to find out who these leaders are and offer our support.
We can't keep sitting on the sidelines hoping women will run for office, the same with Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans, members of the LGBT community, and more. We have to stand up and TELL people that we have their backs, that we want an need them representing us in the statehouses and eventually the White House as well. Progress only happens when we demand it!