July 18, 2017
NEWS & NOTES
A newsletter to keep you informed about all things women and politics from the Center for American Women and Politics, Rutgers University.
Election 2017: Year of the Woman?
With CAWP's Ready to RunĀ® and other campaign training programs showing dramatic increases in interest in the wake of the 2016 elections, many wondered whether a surge of women candidates would follow. Now, with general election candidates set for legislative and statewide contests in New Jersey and Virginia, the first hard evidence is in - and it's complicated. Yes, more women are running, but overwhelmingly on the Democratic side. Read the latest edition of A Closer Look  for Dr. Kelly Dittmar's analysis of the numbers in historical context.
CAWP Research on Women in Congress Draws Media Attention-- and Makes a Case for More Women
Among those highlighting CAWP's latest research report, Representation Matters: Women in the U.S. Congress,are Bustle, HuffPost, and The Washington Post. Among the takeaways highlighted in the report and in the articles: women in Congress are proud to be public servants; they're results-oriented, and more likely to work across the aisle. Many interviewees noted that women face double standards. "People are not used to seeing women in these positions," Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY) told our interviewer. "So we have to work twice as hard to prove ourselves." Still, many of the congresswomen are optimistic and encourage other women to join them on Capitol Hill. "We have...an opportunity to try to be role models for women and men in our states and in the country and [to] try and change the mindset about women and girls' thinking about running for office," said Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN).
 
CAWP scholar Dr. Kelly Dittmar mined the report findings for comments that make the case for more women in office. Her blog post highlights five reasons more women should run for office .
A Jersey Celebrity!
Which celebrity - Bruce Springsteen? Albert Einstein? Alice Paul? The Cake Boss? No, it's an interview with CAWP director Debbie Walsh, featured in this month's "Jersey Celebrities" section of New Jersey Monthly. She talks about helping more women run for office and about CAWP's Teach a Girl to Lead TM initiative. 

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Women Officeholders: Current
Gail Collins, in The New York Times , discusses the difference women officeholders can make - and a host of articles illustrate the point. Also in the Times: the saga of Senator Kamala Harris , a rising star in the Senate; and a story about Rep. Maxine Waters , who is gaining visibility with her attacks on the President. Compton, California re-elected Mayor Aja Brown, who was the city's youngest mayor when she was first elected at 31, according to HuffPost . Governing  highlights another young mayor, Blair Milo of La Porte, Indiana. Mother Jones  tells the story of Minnesota State Rep. Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American state legislator. The Sacramento Bee  introduces us to Kimberly Ellis, described as "the most powerful unelected person in California Democratic politics."
 
Women Officeholders: Potential
The New York Times  offers an account of Democratic efforts to court military veterans as candidates, including several women. The Texas Tribune  reports on one such woman who is challenging an incumbent. Roll Call  suggests that the GOP is missing opportunities to advance women as Senate candidates. SFChronicle.com says "women aren't just marching, they're running." Georgia's 2018 gubernatorial race now features not one, but two Democrats named Stacey, according to HuffPost  - and Black women are being urged to mobilize around one, according to The Washington Post . The Grio  says more Black women are running, and it's "just what America needs." And another woman has thrown her hat into the ring, with Maine Attorney General Janet Mills saying she will run for governor, according to the Bangor Daily News .
 
Women Officeholders: Past
Roll Call marks 100 years of women serving in the U.S. House of Representatives -starting with Rep. Jeannette Rankin (R-MT) in 1917-by reminding us of the history of women in Congress. And Fortune  marked July 7, the 36th anniversary of the appointment of Sandra Day O'Connor as the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, with a gallery of images of the four women who have served on the Court so far.

GOP Women Make Their Voices Heard on Health Care Reform
Vox reports that three GOP women played pivotal roles in the defeat of the Senate plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. 
 
Dress Codes: Not Just for Kids?
A long-standing, but newly enforced congressional dress code that barred women from wearing sleeveless garb and open-toed shoes had women steaming, as reported in The Hill . Rep. Martha McSally also weighed in, according to The Cut , while wearing a sleeveless dress and open-toed shoes.

Senators Just Wanna Have Fun?
Senator Susan Collins joined Cyndi Lauper on stage at a show in Bangor, per CNN. Lauper praised the Senator for her work on LGBT homeless youth. 


Center for American Women and Politics
Eagleton Institute of Politics
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