The Vote: Women Taking the Lead

Incredibly, women in the United States did not secure the right to vote until 1920. They achieved this milestone only after a hard-fought suffrage movement and haven’t looked back since. One hundred years later, following a steady increase of women in our political arena, the United States wakes up each day to the reality of the very first woman, and a woman of color, serving the country as Vice President. In 1916, Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to Congress, representing the state of Montana. After her election, she stated, “I may be the first woman member of Congress, but I won’t be the last.” Today, a record number of women are serving in the 117th Congress of the United States. Counting both the House of Representatives and the Senate, women hold 144 seats or 27% of the 539 seats. This is a 50% increase from a decade ago and it is trending upward. The past one hundred plus years has seen the unfolding of women serving in national, state, and local positions, bringing to the table their unique perspective on how things should be done. Our 2022 mid-term elections were cause for women to celebrate historic victories. All 50 states have now elected women to send to Washington, including the very first from Vermont. There was a record number of women elected as state governors; twelve states chose women for this leadership role, surpassing the nine women governors sent to statehouses in 2004. Why are so many women finally breaking through in American politics? Director of Research at the Center for American Women and Politics, Kelly Dittmar, notes several factors contributing to this upward trend. “Female governors now have a longer record of showing women can succeed in the role, helping to erode some stereotypes that have hamstrung female candidates. Voters have also begun to reevaluate what they value in a leader. Women have increasingly moved up in the ranks and this has boosted the pool of women well suited to run for positions which used to be dominated by male candidates.” Women in leadership positions support issues related to women’s rights, climate change, children and families, neighborhoods, education, a sustainable future, cooperation across party lines and a greater responsiveness to citizens’ needs. From the national level to local government, women are taking the lead, pushing these issues through the eyes of the female perspective. Several of our local women holding political office share their views on the reasons and results of more women in positions of government, and how this impacts the races for these offices.

State Senator Judy Schwank:

“Many of the barriers to running for office women faced for a long time have really fallen. We are seeing more and more women find a way to balance family obligations with running, and even making that a central part of their campaigns. Another big benefit to women has been the numerous statewide and national groups that provide women with training so they can run for office at all levels. We’ve seen many women who have gone through these programs have success in Washington, Harrisburg, and at the local level.” How does this change the race? “The dynamics of races can change when women candidates run because they often bring attention to issues that have been largely overlooked by male candidates. Issues like childcare, paid family leave, maternal health, and reproductive freedom are just a few that come to mind. That fresh perspective is badly needed. Second, it makes sense that women are running more and succeeding because women consistently turn out to vote in higher numbers than men. Naturally, I think many women voters want to vote for candidates they can see themselves in.”

Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, Reading City Council President/Reading’s chosen State Representative and first Latina ever elected from PA

District 129: “I think there has been an increase in women running for public office because of the need for representation at all levels of government. Women are more motivated to protect our health, our bodies and overall, our rights to choose. In addition, there are organizations such as Emily’s List, Sister District and Represent PA, that endorse, support and assist women candidates, and help make the pursuit for public office more attainable. This doesn’t affect the race, it enhances the race and encourages, enables and empowers more women to run for public office.”

Donna Reed, Reading City

Council Vice President: “To some degree, I would say it’s making up for lost time—remember it’s only been a little over 100 years since women in America were granted (by men!) the right to vote. There have always been female pioneers, locally and nationally, who led the way, particularly by initially attaining major influence in the political parties. That occurred— think of the likes of Abigail Adams and Dolly Madison and Alice Roosevelt Longworth and Eleanor Roosevelt—well before women began running for office at all or in the ever-increasing numbers of the past quarter century. I believe the time has passed for gender consideration when a candidate steps up to the plate—and I believe voters no longer count gender as a positive or negative. Rather, they look at the person and the politics. I believe that is an inherent and a quietly jubilant victory for women in the electoral world.”

Donna also comments on women and local politics: “Women have been gaining more and more traction in municipal and school boards in the county. I’m proud to serve on a femalemajority City Council (four women) and our auditor is also a woman. When I joined Council in 2002, I was the only female member. We’ve only had one female mayor and one female county commissioner in the long history of Reading and Berks, so there’s some catching up to do there. With a new female state representative to take office in January joining our long-time female state Senator, and with two Congresswomen representing portions of Berks, girls still in school and young women should be encouraged to see those pathways opening for them to follow their dreams and answer the noble call of public service.”

Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz, Reading City Councilwoman:

“The upward trend in women becoming involved in politics speaks to the nationwide movement towards diversity and inclusion in all levels of government. This has been a challenging journey with many barriers still hindering full inclusion and equity. However, the increased civic engagement of women in leadership roles opens the possibilities to expand collaboration and inclusivity. With women still underrepresented in elected offices, there has been a growing trend in women experiencing greater success in elections. However, issues, not gender, should define the race; sound governance should be focused on issues and not personalities. It is critical that all candidates clearly speak to the priority issues and define their positions on diversity, equity, and inclusion.” 2

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By Phyllis J. McLaughlin Freelance Writer