February 20, 2018
NEWS & NOTES
A newsletter to keep you informed about all things women and politics from the Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University.
Esder Chong: NEW Leadership™ New Jersey Class of 2017 
Esder Chong is a Sophomore at Rutgers Newark majoring in finance and philosophy. She's the founder and president of RU Dreamers, a student organization for undocumented students' rights to higher education.
Last month Esder's  Congressman, Frank Pallone, invited her to join him as his guest at the State of the Union Address. One week later, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi shared Esder's story during her eight hour marathon speech on the House Floor.
See it here

Be Like Esder!
Women across the country are stepping up and running for office, getting involved in local politics, and building their leadership skills. Be one of them . Find the political leadership opportunities available in your state on CAWP's Resource Map. Learn about campaign training and leadership development programs and PAC's for women candidates.
Empowering Southern Women
The Stennis Center for Public Service will host the  Southern Women In Public Service 2018 Conference , Coming Together to Lead, on April 22-24 in Asheville, NC. This bipartisan conference brings together elected and appointed women from the local, state and federal levels and women from the executive, legislative and judicial branches.  For more details, visit the conference site .

In Alabama, early indications are that record numbers of women are running for Congress and state legislature, according to this report from WBHM radio.
This is your moment! Get Ready to Run®
Spaces are filling up fast for CAWP's New Jersey Ready to Run®  bipartisan campaign training program for women, to be held Friday and Saturday, March 9-10th. Participants will walk away with: practical "how-to's" for candidates; real world advice and best practices from the experts; strategies for positioning yourself for public leadership; the ins and outs of New Jersey politics; tips and tools for legislative advocacy; and campaigning in a digital age.


Not in New Jersey? Check out a Ready to Run National Network program near you.
 
#MeToo and #TimesUp Movements Inspire Women to Vote and Run
Rachel Otwell of NPR Illinois reports nationwide rallying cry, "Power to the polls."
 
Women in U.S. Senate Roiled Over Arcane Rules
The Hill reports Senator Elizabeth Warren offers to hold Senator Tammy Duckworth's baby so she can vote while on maternity leave.

New Jersey's First and Only Woman Governor Back in the News
Former NJ Governor Christine Todd Whitman has teamed up with former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, to form the National Task Force on Rule of Law and Democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice.
 
The Long Road to Political Parity
CAWP Director Debbie Walsh tells Newsweek: "It's important for women who are new to this process to be in it for the long haul-for the marathon, not the sprint."
 
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm's Legacy of Firsts Continues to Inspire
"If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair," Chisholm was known for saying. 
 
What's Good for the Military is Good for Congress
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand calls for an end to sexual assault and harassment on Capitol Hill.

Candid Interview with California State Senator Holly Mitchell
Mitchell shares her path to public office, thoughts on recruiting black women candidates, and advice on having "honest conversations about how we operationalize public life as women." 
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Center for American Women and Politics
Eagleton Institute of Politics
Rutgers University | New Brunswick
191 Ryders Lane, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8557
(848) 932-9384 - Fax: (732) 932-6778