April 2022 WPLN Newsletter

Dear friend, 

I can't believe it's already almost May! The 2022 primary season is quickly approaching — and has even already started in some states — and with Mother's Day on the horizon, we at WPLN want to highlight mothers who have run and/or served and to share their experiences.

These women have balanced the challenges of being a parent with public leadership demands, so we're hosting conversations with them to hear their stories and learn from them. We are also offering some programs and events geared towards the people who make up important and necessary support systems, since we know that running for office involves the whole family and so we want to help ensure everyone feels prepared and supported. 

We would love to have you join us for these events. More details below about each of the events and how to register!

Onward,

Larissa

WPLN President and Co-Founder

Ahead of Mother's Day, WPLN will roll out events, programs, and conversations to celebrate #MomsOnTheTrail!

• On May 2, WPLN will host a Facebook Live with a special guest for a Q&A on best practices, balancing demands, and dealing with challenges on the trail and in office, among other topics.
• To help build the support systems for women leaders, we are hosting a free event on May 4 for spouses, partners, or children to learn how to support a woman in their life on her political journey.
• And on May 6, we are hosting a free live children's book reading of My Mommy is a Candidate, co-authored by WPLN founder Larissa Martinez!

In addition to these free events, we will feature on our blog and social media the stories and experiences of moms who have served in public office. If you would like to be featured, please reach out to Maureen McInerney at maureen@womenspublicleadership.net.

And if you're still looking for a #MothersDay gift, visit our online store to get a shirt for a parent or child in your life.

ICYMI: On April 12, WPLN held a Facebook Live with new state training partner Nevada Women's Leadership Alliance to discuss their organization's work and learn more about the political environment for women candidates and elected officials in Nevada! Learn more.

Lastly, thank you to the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) for including WPLN in your Women's Political Power Map! Click here for resources across the country for women interested in running for office, working on political campaigns, or holding appointive office.

FOX NEWS | "Republican women running for Congress seek to change media narrative": "We're not a monolith. And I think when you have women running, we do talk about some of the issues sometimes that may not be talked about as often with our male counterparts." Read more.

AXIOS | "More women are running for statewide offices than ever before": "There are roughly 65 women running for governor across the country this cycle, with more Republicans than Democrats making the bid, according to data from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). ... While women from both parties are running in equal or near-equal numbers for the statewide offices, there's still a stark partisan divide in the representation in Congress. By the numbers: Of the 145 women currently in the House and Senate, only 39 are Republicans, the CAWP data shows." Read more.

19th NEWS | "Of the 200 statues at the U.S. Capitol, 14 are of women. RBG and Sandra Day O’Connor will soon join the ranks": "'Their presence in our Capitol is a reminder that a woman’s place is everywhere, something a Republican President saw in 1981 and a Democrat President saw in 1993,' bipartisan women’s caucus leadership said in a statement. 'And we owe both Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg a huge debt of gratitude.'" Read more.

BLOOMBERG | "The proportion of elected city offices held by women rose by just 3% in 2022": "The proportion of elected offices in U.S. cities held by women increased by 3% in 2022. Still, women make up less than a third of mayors, city council members and other local elected office holders following last year's municipal elections in New York, Boston and other large cities. The percentage of women holding city office rose to 31.5% in 2022 from 30.5% a year ago, according to a new report from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The biggest gains were made in Delaware, Idaho and New York. The largest losses were in New Hampshire" Read more.

The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) has a new blog post titled "Expert Outlooks: What to Watch in Election 2022":

"As we look ahead to the first big push of primary contests in May 2022, the Center for American Women and Politics has asked experts in gender and politics – scholars and practitioners alike – to provide their outlooks for the gender and intersectional dynamics to watch in this election cycle."

Topics include the following, among others:

• "Will 2022 be another good year for Republican women?"
• "Redistricting creates sites of both opportunity and challenge for women."
• "In an historic year for Black women, we’ll be interested in how Black women candidates frame their experience through political communication."
• "White suburban women continue to be an important site for analysis."
• "Contests for Secretary of State are especially important in election 2022."

Read more.

READING | Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown: In this book, Brené Brown discusses human emotions, shared experiences, and meaningful connections. WPLN Board Chair Jen Sarver says, "Loved it so much... Powerful study on emotion, language, and connection. Can’t recommend highly enough." Learn more.

WATCHING | The First Lady on Showtime: The First Lady premiered on April 17 and stars Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford, and Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt. Learn more.

LISTENING TO | The Political Contessa podcast Season 1 Episode 30 featuring June Cutter: Political Contessa was founded by Jennifer Nassour, who also founded our Massachusetts training partner Pocketbook Project, and this episode features June Cutter, the president of our California training partner California Women's Leadership Association, as well as a 2022 candidate for office! “Everything that impacts our world, impacts women," said June. Learn more.

EXCITED FOR | WPLN's Mother's Day content: WPLN is planning a week-long celebration of #MomsOnTheTrail the week before Mother's Day! We will be sharing profiles of mothers running for office, hosting programming for spouses and families, and highlighting content and merchandise for mothers and children. Read more below under "Upcoming Events," and follow us on our social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn) so you don't miss any of it!

• Maya Angelou, poet and civil rights activist who authored the autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (April 4)
• Janet Davison Rowley, human geneticist and cancer genetics pioneer (April 5)
• Mildred Fay Jefferson, physician who was the first Black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School and served as president of the National Right to Life Committee (April 6)
• Rose Schneiderman, suffragist who urged safe workplace condition and worked for women's right to vote in New York (April 6)
• Eleanora "Billie Holiday" Fagan, jazz singer (April 7)
• Frances Perkins, who in 1933 became the first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet and therefore the first woman in the presidential line of succession (April 10)
• Dolores Huerta, civil rights activist, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the first Latina inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame (April 10)
• Jane Matilda Bolin, the first Black woman to graduate from Yale Law School, join the New York City Bar Association and the New York City Law Department, and to serve as a judge in the United States (April 11)
• Beverly Cleary, author and creator of Ramona Quimby (April 12)
• Norma Merrick Sklarek, first Black woman to officially become an architect in New York and California, who was referred to as the "Rosa Parks of Architecture" (April 15)
• Ella Fitzgerald, jazz singer (April 25)
• Anita Loos, first female staff scriptwriter in Hollywood who was among the first to join the Lucy Stone League (April 26)
• Coretta Scott King, civil rights leader and the wife of Martin Luther King, Jr (April 27)
• Harper Lee, author who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird (April 28)

APRIL 26 | VoteHer Professional Skills Building Series: Join our Georgia training partner VoteHer Georgia TONIGHT for a free virtual training on developing your public speaking skills! Learn more.

MAY 2 | WPLN's Celebration of Moms on the Trail - Facebook Live: Join WPLN for a Facebook Live conversation with a special guest for a Q&A on best practices, balancing demands, dealing with challenges, etc. Learn more.

MAY 4 | WPLN's Celebration of Moms on the Trail - How to Support your Spouse or Mother: Join WPLN for this virtual conversation on the challenges and tips to supporting the partner or mother in your life throughout her political journey. Registration is required! Learn more.

MAY 6 | WPLN's Celebration of Moms on the Trail - LIVE Children's Book Reading: Join WPLN and the authors of My Mommy is a Candidate for a special live reading of the book and conversation! A portion of book sales through Mother's Day will support WPLN's programming for women seeking public office across the U.S. Learn more.

Support WPLN programs and resources by making a contribution today!

Women’s Public Leadership Network (WPLN) is a non-profit organization organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law.