This summer I spent seven weeks working as a Congressional Intern for a Republican Congressman. Every day as I walked the halls of Congress, I couldn’t help but be in awe of the political leaders who made an impact on our nation. I tried to imagine myself in a similar role, but with only 19.4% of Congress being women, it was hard to see myself there. Still in 2016, I rarely crossed paths with a woman serving in office.
That was until one magical moment on my morning walk into the Longworth Building, when I crossed paths with a female Congresswoman, Representative Mia Love, the first and only black Republican woman currently elected to Congress. She smiled at me, said hello, and kept on walking. In that fleeting moment, it all seemed possible - even plausible. She finally let me imagine myself in her shoes with a House of Representatives member pin on my blazer.
This has been a tough year for young women like me. It feels like the political rhetoric around gender has reached a boiling point in our country.
And yet, I can’t help but take pride in seeing so many women running for office - including the highest of all of them. But Hillary Clinton isn’t the only woman on the ballot this year.
I’m excited to able to cast my ballot for so many female candidates who share my politics. And I hope in doing so, more young women interning on the Hill will have the opportunity to see themselves as leaders of tomorrow as well.
Just check out this list of incredible women on the ballot in statewide races this year:
Alaska
Lisa Murkowski (R) - U.S. Senate
Alabama
Twinkle Cavanaugh (R) - Public Service Commissioner
Arizona
Ann Kirkpatrick (D) - U.S. Senate
California
Kamala Harris (D) - U.S. Senate
Loretta Sanchez (D) - U.S. Senate
Delaware
Bethany Hall-Liong (D) - Lieutenant Governor
Illinois
Leslie Munger (R) - State Comptroller
Susanna Mendoza (D) - State Comptroller
Tammy Duckworth (D) - U.S. Senate
Indiana
Christina Hale (D) - Lieutenant Governor
Suzanne Crouch (R) - Lieutenant Governor
Glenda Ritz (D) - Superintendent of Public Instruction
Jennifer McCormick (R) - Superintendent of Public Instruction
Iowa
Patty Judge (D) - U.S. Senate
Louisiana
Caroline Fayard (D) - U.S. Senate
Maryland
Kathy Szeliga (R) - U.S. Senate
Missouri
Teresa Hensley (D) - Attorney General
Robin Smith (D) - Secretary of State
Judy Baker (D) - State Treasurer
Montana
Lesley Robinson (R) - Lieutenant Governor
Monica Lindeen (D) - Secretary of State
Melissa Romano (D) - Superintendent of Public Instruction
Elsie Arntzen (R) - Superintendent of Public Instruction
New Hampshire
Maggie Hassan (D) - U.S. Senate
Kelly Ayotte (R) - U.S. Senate
New Mexico
Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D) - Secretary of State
Nora Espinoza (R) - Secretary of State
New York
Wendy Long (R) - U.S. Senate
Nebraska
Mary Ridder (R) - Public Service Commissioner
Nevada
Catherine Cortez Masto (D) - U.S. Senate
North Carolina
Linda Coleman (D) - Lieutenant Governor
Elaine Marshall (D) - Secretary of State
Beth Wood (D) - State Auditor
Cherie Berry (R) - Commissioner of Labor
June Atkinson (D) - State Superintendent
Deborah Ross (D) - U.S. Senate
North Dakota
Joan Heckaman (D) - Lieutenant Governor
Kelly Schmidt (R) - State Treasurer
Kirsten Baesler (R) - Superintendent of Public Instruction
Ruth Buffalo (D) - Insurance Commissioner
Julie Fedorchak (R) - Public Service Commissioner
Marlo Hunte-Beaubrun (D) - Public Service Commissioner
Oklahoma
Dana Murphy (R) - Corporation Commission
Oregon
Kate Brown (D) - Governor
Ellen Rosenblum (D) - Attorney General
Pennsylvania
Kathleen “Katie” McGinty (D) - U.S. Senate
Utah
Misty Snow (D) - U.S. Senate
Vermont
Sue Minter (D) - Governor
Beth Pearce (D) - State Treasurer
Deborah Bucknam (R) - Attorney General
Washington
Kim Wyman (R) - Secretary of State
Tina Podlodowski (D) - Secretary of State
Pat “Patrice” McCarthy (D) - State Auditor
Erin Jones (NP) - Superintendent of Public Instruction
Patty Murray (D) - U.S. Senate
Candidates for U.S. Representatives were not included on this list due to their elections being determined by local districts, rather than statewide. But if you’re interested in more information about candidates down your ballot, visit Ballotpedia for non-partisan information about candidates and ballot measures on your ballot this Election Day.
While being a woman alone doesn’t make you fit to run for office - or necessarily win you my vote - I believe equal representation matters. Caring about serving the constituents, making political change, and being a role model are just some of what we need in our elected officials - and women are more than capable of all this and much, much more.
As a little girl, I used to tell people I would someday be elected the first female president of The United States. While perhaps someone else will beat me to it, I’ll be glad to see that highest glass ceiling shattered, too.
Do you want to see more than 19.4% of Congress made up of women? I sure do. Make sure you’re ready to cast your ballot on election day, and encourage your friends to do the same. And if you haven’t already, consider running for office yourself! The folks at She Should Run and Running Start can help!
This post was originally published on Bossed Up and shared with permission.
