WPLN Board Chair and former Congressional candidate, Jennifer Sarver, hosted a spotlight discussion on Facebook Live with three inspiring women who shared what influenced them to run for public office, how they developed their platforms, and the experiences they have had on the campaign trail and in office. Joining this important, personal discussion were New Mexico State Representative Kelly Fajardo, Former Colorado Legislator and County Commissioner Libby Szabo, and Former Austin City Councilwoman Ellen Troxclair. If you are thinking about running for office, the stories of their courage, election tactics, and experiences are crucial to understanding how to be an effective female candidate and elected official.
In recalling how they entered the political sphere in their respective states and cities, Fajardo and Szabo remember feeling as if the opportunity came to them. As wives, mothers, and stakeholders in their communities, they felt obligated to serve and meet the needs of the people they would represent. For Troxclair, it was a bit different. Making the leap into public service, was a direct result of her dissatisfaction with Austin property taxes and how the city was operating at the time.
While recognizing the barriers women face to run for public office face, each of these three leaders know through firsthand experience that it is possible for women to be both mothers, entrepreneurs, and lawmakers. Troxclair believes that the many hats that women wear are extremely important to providing valuable insight to any legislative decision-making. Even though it is not easy, women running for office it is necessary for true representation.
One of the most common obstacles that women running for office face is a lack of support, funding, and access. Traditional gender stereotypes often negatively affect women who are married with children and want to run a successful campaign. Szabo remembers that her family’s support was vital in running for office and maintaining a work-life balance. Both Troxclair and Fajardo utilized grassroots tactics such as door knocking and spreading word of candidacy through friends and family.
People who are connected to you outside of politics are great resources for volunteers and fundraisers because they trust you and the validity of your campaign and policy goals. Szabo believes that another important outreach tactic for effective candidacy is making phone calls and actually connecting with your future constituents to get your message out. According to Fajardo, reputation is extremely important and utilizing training like that offered by WPLN and our partner organizations can be incredibly helpful when getting started.
Although running for office requires a lot of work and dedication, it is absolutely possible. Remaining grounded is crucial to being effective in all areas of public service. The more you build real relationships with constituents and stay true to your principles, the easier it is to stay focused on enacting political change. It is easy to be intimidated by the odds stacked against women entering politics. However, women like Kelly Fajardo, Libby Szabo, Ellen Troxclair, and most recently Vice-President Kamala Harris are paving the way by taking the leap into service and remaining invigorated by their community and the opportunity to serve.
Watch the entire conversation below or on our Facebook page for all of their tips and encouragement.