The 2018 midterm elections saw unprecedented numbers of women elected to public office. It’s painful to think of Donald Trump as beneficial to feminism, but he was a catalyst for many who laced up their sneakers and walked until the soles wore out, either as a candidate or canvasser. Did you watch that unfold and think, “I wish I could run for office, but [totally valid reason why I can’t]”? It’s time to think again, and a new book can help you clear a path to getting it done.
“Represent: The Woman’s Guide to Running for Office and Changing the World” (Workman Publishing) is a hands-on workbook that balances inspirational stories from many new officeholders with a structured list of things to do, analyze, research, and execute. Authors Kate Black (currently a federal policy advisor, previously research VP at EMILY’s List) and June Diane Raphael (Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie,” the podcast “How Did This Get Made?”) are empathetic and funny guides to the wonky world of everything from school board elections and city council spots to the House and Senate.
Think for a minute about your daily life and the issues that arise there. Are your streets well maintained or full of potholes? Are the schools a mess? Is the nearest public library thriving or merely open two days a week? These are all issues you can bring before your elected representatives demanding answers, but if you don’t like what you’re hearing, you can also take their jobs; there are, no lie, more than 500,000 public office “seats” in this country. When Danica Roem won her seat in the Virginia state legislature it made headlines in large part because she’s a trans woman and a metalhead to boot. But Roem was not running on a platform of trans inclusion or adding more arpeggios to high school music programs; she ran for office because the roads on local Route 28 were a mess that nobody was tackling. That her presence opens doors for others is just an incredibly valuable bonus.
Stories like this are featured in each chapter of Represent, and they keep the reader inspired. That’s vital, because the news for women in politics is often not good. Held to unreasonable beauty standards and social double standards, women also critically have less access to the two things any run for office demands: Money and time. There are analytic tools included to help you look at a typical two weeks and find places where hours can be carved out for campaigning, and also figure how much money you’ll need for the run. The upside is that, for some women, public office will pay more than a day job. And when you win your race the benefits accrue to society as a whole; study after study has shown that women pass more legislation and generally get more stuff done when in office.
The book follows several composite characters who are making their first runs for office, and it’s helpful to hear how they juggle childcare, elder care, housework, and the other responsibilities that generally keep women in the home instead of the House. Chapters address managing one’s digital history to keep anything scandalous from resurfacing, and the precarious work of running for office while managing debt. There’s a section presented in the form of a humorous email exchange between the authors and Neelamit Dhaliwal, who has worked with the National SEED Project on equity and diversity; they keep demanding a simple cheat sheet for interrupting oppressive (sexist, racist, homophobic, etc.) comments, and she keeps explaining that it’s not that simple, while outlining various ways to engage constructively. And, spoiler: She does also provide a cheat sheet.
The last chapter is a “Holy Bible” of national resources for potential candidates, because in addition to friends, family, your church, and your bowling league, to run for office requires structured support from those who know how to play the game. If you have ever considered or are considering a run, Represent will help organize your thinking and give you a clear sense of the work you are about to take on. If you know someone who is shyly flirting with the idea, giving them a copy along with a blank notebook and pen would be a fantastic show of support. And definitely give it to young readers. It contains sex jokes and swear words, but so do wise older sisters the world over. Show young women that running for office is both normal and necessary. Our future may well depend on it.
Heather Seggel is a writer living in Northern California. Email heatherlseggel@gmail.com.
From The Progressive Populist, November 1, 2019
Blog | Current Issue | Back Issues | Essays | Links
About the Progressive Populist | How to Subscribe | How to Contact Us