National (TN Tribune)-Women make up 51% of our population, yet there are only a handful of states whose legislatures reflect that with fair representation: Nevada and Arizona state Senates are more than 50% women, as are Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico state House delegations. Other states still have a long way to go—some, egregiously far.
Vote Run Lead Action, the 501(c4) arm of the country’s largest nonprofit training resource for women to run for political office and win, believes it is well past time to see women as the majority of our elected officials. The organization’s goal is nothing short of women holding 51% of seats in state legislatures nationwide—and the organization knows the path to that reality starts with women learning how to run for office and manage successful campaigns. Vote Run Lead Action’s RUN/51 Summit, November 17–19 in Detroit, Michigan—the first and only national training event fully dedicated to sending women to our nation’s statehouses—is where this vital training will happen, one year out from Election Day 2024. The Summit will draw hundreds of women who are interested in running for state House or Senate seats, or who have already declared their candidacy, and those who want to manage these candidates’ campaigns. The RUN/51 Summit will give participants the tools, resources and know-how to pursue public office—and win! Participant registration is open now through October 30 at voterunleadaction.org/run51-summit.
“A core belief that drives our approach is that you are already enough to do this important work of running and winning,” said Erin Vilardi, CEO and founder of Vote Run Lead Action. “We only ask women to bring their skills, passion and drive, and we bring the tools, experience, confidence and community to help them learn everything they need to know about running for office. What’s good, what’s hard, how to handle the money, what it means to manage a campaign, the realities of campaigning—all of these topics are covered. We have incredible speakers who have either run for office themselves or worked directly on successful campaigns. It’s going to be an exciting event and one that we hope inspires even more women to run for office.”
The organization has proudly helped 55,000 women and gender-expansive people run for office, with a successful track record of nearly 70% of alumni who made the 2022 ballot winning their races. However, more women are needed in our statehouses today than ever before. Pivotal legislation that governs women’s bodies, education, immigration and so much more is being battled out in our statehouses. Electing women can really make a difference against these attacks on our democracy.
Vote Run Lead Action seeks to transform the face of power in this country in 2024, and it starts in Detroit with the RUN/51 Summit.
Two tracks will be offered, for candidates and campaign managers. Keynote speakers (to be announced soon) will share stories of running for office and winning. Workshops will include:
- Campaign Culture
- Building the Team You Need
- Creating Your Campaign Strategy
- Building and Managing Campaign Budgets
- The Importance of Crafting Stories
- Knowing and Adapting Messaging
- Stump Speech Writing Lab
- Campaign Safety: Digital, Policies and Practices
- Strengthening Fundraising Muscles
Vilardi noted, “Research supports the long-held conventional notions of what women bring to political leadership—from executing on a long-term vision and engaging diverse constituents in their decision-making, to collaborating every which way and having a knack for getting things done—these are exactly the skills needed right now. We can’t wait any longer: At the current rate, it will take at least 200 years to reach gender parity in government. Men make up 72% of the House and Senate, 74% of mayors and 66% of state legislatures.
“We are in a new political reality in America. Voters are done with ‘politics as usual’ and have demonstrated an openness to new kinds of leadership,” Vilardi said. “This is a perfect time for women to run for office. Contrary to what they may think, they don’t need years of political experience. They don’t need to wait until their kids are grown, or until they have achieved that next career milestone. Right now is a great opportunity for women to throw their hat into the political arena and say ‘I’m running today!’ ”
To register for the Vote Run Lead Action RUN/51 Summit, November 17–19 in Detroit, go to voterunlead.org/run51-summit.
