Photos from NWPC CA State Convention with Barbara Boxer (Nov. 2016)

(click here to view entire photo gallery)

NWPC CA Celebrates the Work of Senator Barbara Boxer

On Saturday, Nov. 12th, NWPC CA brought together women leaders from throughout the state to celebrate the career of retiring Senator Barbara Boxer. In the aftermath of the election results, Sen. Boxer talked about her newly released book, "The Art of Tough: Fearlessly Facing Politics and Life" and shared motivational words on staying dedicated to fighting for equality and celebrating the great work of many women during this election cycle. The celebration concluded with a panel discussing the importance of women serving in appointments at the local, state and national level. NWPC CA plans to conduct another conference in the Spring to convene women leaders around important topics of political and grassroots engagement. Our very own Director of Operations, Karriann Farrell Hinds, spoke on the panel (pictured right).

More than 60 members of National Women’s Political Caucus from all over California gathered the Saturday after the 2016 General Election in San Jose to attend a “Celebration and Conversation.”  Members of the Silicon Valley caucus hosted the event, with members attending from Orange County, Fresno, Monterey, Sacramento, and several local caucuses in Los Angeles County.
Although it seemed that the “celebration” part was not to be, the speakers and members turned what might have been a wake into a wake-up call to turn defeat into future victory.  Speakers shared their deep sense of loss over the defeat of Secretary Hillary Clinton for President.  But they also sounded calls to carry the work forward and to increase our efforts for women to be full partners in America’s democracy.  Read more here

The "Good News" From November 2016 Election from MsRepresentation...

Local Recap

Malibu: Jennifer DeNicola was not successful in her race. We thank her for the courage to run!

Santa Monica City CouncilL Gleam Davis was reelected!

Santa Monica College Board of Trustees: Both Susan Aminoff and Margaret Quinones Perez reelected!

Assembly: Laura Friedman won her race!
Christy Smith was not successful in her race. We thank her for the courage to run!
Cristina Garcia reelected (and also, incoming chair of Women's Legislative Caucus)!

CA Senate: Kamala Harris won (retaining a seat for women in the Senate)!


Congress: Nanette Barragan won (retaining a seat for women in the House)!


Two glass ceilings smashed by down-ballot women (from “MsRepresentation”)

Let’s welcome some fresh(wo)men to politics. Say hello to Ilhan Omar, who will represent Minnesota in the House of Representatives, our country’s first Somali-American legislator. In other down-ballot, glass-ceiling-shattering news, there’s a new sheriff in town (if you live in Jefferson County, Texas). Zena Stephens, the first black female Texas sheriff, was elected with 51.4% of the vote and will replace a 20-year veteran.


On Senate diversity: more is better, but this deserves celebration (From “MsRepresentation”)

For the first time, two female biracial senators have won Senate seats (side note: how did it take this long?). Tammy Duckworth, a half-Thai Illinois Democrat, flipped the seat and will replace Mark Kirk after winning 54.4% of the vote.

Out west, former California Attorney General Kamala Harris is something of a double first – the first California senator of Indian descent and the country’s first black female senator in nearly two decades. It’s about time! She will replace retiring Senate stalwart Barbara Boxer.

Another former Attorney General, Catherine Cortez Masto from Nevada, will fill the vacancy left by retiring minority leader Harry Reid. She becomes the first Latina senator.

While the number of women of color in the Senate quadrupled (from one to four), and women are only 21% of the Senate still means there’s plenty of room for improvement. Let’s get to it!


The House wins with eight of a kind (From “MsRepresentation”)

Better than a royal flush, eight new women were elected to the House. The fresh(wo)men include Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming), Nannette Barragan (D-California), Lisa Blunt (D-Delaware), Stephanie Murphy (D-Florida), Val Demmings (D-Florida), Carol Shea-Porter (D-New Hampshire), Claudia Tenney (R-New York), and Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington). Congress is now a little more diverse because of these wins, and I’m all in for that.

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Ready To Run Conference in March 2017

NWPC LA Westside Board of Directors Nominations (2017-2019)

Director of Operations:  Tori Wender

Director of Political Action: Karriann Farrell Hinds

Director of Events: Open

Director of Fiancee: Open

Director of Communications:  Rebecca Simon

Membership Chairwoman:  Jane Hasler Henick

Board of Directors (At Large Members):  

Barbi Appelquist

Jackie Filla

Joy Freiber

Catherine Hood

Robyn Ritter Simon

Julie Stromberg

Sarah Truby

Previous Board (2015-2016) Link:
http://www.nwpclawestside.org/boardofdirectors.html

JACKIE: Advance Screening of the Film on 11/29

Fox Searchlight and their upcoming film JACKIE, starring Natalie Portman. The film tells the story of Jackie Kennedy as she and the nation mourn her husband’s death. We have been offered a chance to see an advance screening of the film on Tuesday, 11/29. 

Email nwpcla@gmail.com if you are interested in attending

2016 Election Download

2016 Election Download

Posted by Angelica Ramos . on November 16, 2016

Women decline in CA Legislature after 2016 general election:

Not only was 2016 not the year of the first woman U.S. President, it’s also a year in which the number of women in the California Legislature declined, in spite of vigorous effort by NWPC and other groups to recruit and support top-notch women candidates.  Women in California’s Congressional delegation also declined by two, pending the outcome of one close race.

Women decline in CA Legislature after 2016 general election:

Not only was 2016 not the year of the first woman U.S. President, it’s also a year in which the number of women in the California Legislature declined, in spite of vigorous effort by NWPC and other groups to recruit and support top-notch women candidates.  Women in California’s Congressional delegation also declined by two, pending the outcome of one close race.

In the Legislature, NWPC California endorsed and supported a total of 8 outstanding women candidates, including two incumbents, both of whom won.  But losses by Mariko Yamada and Jane Kim in November and two other endorsed candidates in the June primary contributed to the decline from 12 women Senators in 2015-16 to 10 women in the next session.  

In the Assembly, NWPC endorsed and supported 22 women candidates, including 6 incumbents.  Most advanced to the November general election, but only 10 have so far been declared winners; if Sharon Quirk-Silva is able to hold on to a slender lead, she will be the 11th.  Two endorsed incumbents were defeated—Patty Lopez by the man she beat two years ago, and Cheryl Brown by another woman.  At this time, it appears the Assembly will lose two women overall.

So as things stand now, the California Legislature will decline from 31 women, or 26% to 27 women or 22.8%--a continuing slow decline over the last 4-6 years—a decline that cannot easily be explained in the light of work by NWPC, Close the Gap, Emerge CA and others to build a strong pipeline of candidates.

The status of women in statewide office (including the U.S. Senate and State Board of Equalization seats) may also go down in 2017—despite the great news of the election of Attorney General Kamala Harris to replace outgoing Senator Barbara Boxer.  Unless Governor Brown appoints a woman as acting AG until the 2018 election (which is a possibility), women in California statewide office could decline from 5 to 4.

News on the Congressional front was also not good:  California’s delegation to Washington will be down by two women, from 19 to 17, if Nanette Barragan ultimately wins District 44.  NWPC National endorsed all the Congressional candidates we recommended and all the incumbents were re-elected.   However, women retired from three seats and two were replaced by men, resulting in the declining number.  Overall, the number of women in the next Congress will be relatively static, but the representation of women of color has increased significantly, including Senator-elect Harris.

URL:

http://www.nwpcsiliconvalley.org/2016_election_download?mc_cid=8bcb331563&mc_eid=0ee7efb7fe

Message From Center for American Women and Politics

Dear Friend:

The fight for political equality is more important than ever! Over the past week, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) has heard from hundreds of women wondering what the election outcome means for women's public leadership. We're heartened by some gains, including increased representation of women of color in Congress, but troubled that the overall number of women in Congress is stagnant. And of course, the highest glass ceiling remains intact. While we're hopeful this historic election will ultimately inspire more women to run, we worry that the tenor of the campaign may deter women from seeking office.

We have work to do and not a minute to waste. In a year when the public is disillusioned and discouraged by politics, it is more important than ever that we actively work to engage and inspire more women to be part of the process at every stage of their lives.

Here's what you can do:

1)    Run for office. We've all seen what women candidates face on the national stage, and it wasn't pretty -- but our response shouldn't be to turn away from politics and government. To elevate the process, more women need to engage in campaigns and demonstrate their talent for governing. Our democracy needs the full participation of women and men to function at its highest level.

CAWP's flagship Ready to Run New Jersey program is scheduled for March 10-11, 2017.  We also have partner programs in states all over the country; visit our Ready to Run® National Network page for more information.

All are welcome at any of our Ready to Run programs regardless of where you live, but if these programs are out of reach, CAWP also offers a nationwide map of women's political and leadership resources for women -- see what's available in your state!


2)    Start a campaign training program for women in your state. CAWP actively seeks Ready to Run® partners; details are available here.  I'm happy to answer your questions about launching Ready to Run®. You can reach me at (848) 932-8781 or sinzdak@eagleton.rutgers.edu. I look forward to hearing from you!


3)    Encourage a woman you admire to run for office. Refer her to one of the training programs above. Donate money to her campaign or other women's campaigns, in your area or around the country. Research shows that women are far less likely than men to be asked to run for office by anyone, including party leaders and other elected officials. To see more women in public leadership, sometimes all it takes is a simple "I know you would be a terrific public leader, and I want to help you."

We know that electing more women doesn't just happen. Women need to be encouraged and prepared to run for office. When more women run, more women win. There is work to be done -- let's get started.

Sincerely,

Jean Sinzdak
Associate Director
Center for American Women and Politics

Center for American Women and Politics

Eagleton Institute of Politics

191 Ryders Lane

New Brunswick, NJ 08901

www.cawp.rutgers.edu 

Post-election reaction from NWPC National President, Donna Lent

A statement from Donna Lent, NWPC National President, on the results of the 2016 Presidential Election:

Secretary Hillary Clinton’s historic run for the White House brought together a majority of voters in this country who supported her vision for women’s rights, education, the environment and economic opportunity. Although she ultimately did not receive enough electoral college votes to secure the Presidency, we need to remind ourselves that the vision she held for America is shared by the majority of Americans. Our work now is to not give up and march forward.

NWPC is proud of Secretary Clinton’s hard-fought campaign and for all she’s accomplished over the many decades of public service. We remain inspired by her dedication to the progressive values and vision we share for our country.

For many of us who worked our hearts out and dedicated ourselves to seeing the most qualified person to ever run elected President of the United States, this election has reminded us that although we can and must be part of the process, we can’t control the outcome.

To all the young women out there who have supported Hillary, who have been driven by her strength and commitment to our country, who because of her, have realized that you too can be a change maker within society, let Hillary’s words continue to inspire you, “…this loss hurts, but please, please never stop believing that fighting for what’s right is worth it. It’s always worth it.”

Let’s continue our work #StrongerTogether. We are #StillWithHer!

We must also take a moment to celebrate our successes as we build momentum for 2018, 2020 and beyond. Six women had historical wins on election night:

Kate Brown, Oregon was elected as the first LGBT governor.

Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada was elected as the first Latina to serve in Senate.

Stephanie Murphy, Florida was elected as the first Vietnamese-American woman to serve in Congress, defeating a 23-year incumbent.

Attorney General Kamala Harris, California was elected as the first Indian-American to serve in Senate and California’s first African American senator.

Ilhan Omar, Minnesota came to the U.S. as a preteen after her family escaped the Somali civil war and spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp was elected as the first Somali-American Muslim female legislator.

Pramila Jayapal, Washington was elected as the first Indian-American woman to serve in Congress.

We congratulate all our endorsed Senate and House candidates! They truly made us proud! We share in tremendous Senate wins for Governor Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth in Illinoisand State Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris in California.

Join us in continuing the fight. Our work continues as we focus on recruiting, training, and electing multi-partisan, progressive pro-choice women at the national, state, and local levels.

Onward!

Donna Lent, President

National Women’s Political Caucus

Post-Election Expert Analysis

Did Women Abandon Clinton?
No, says Kelly Dittmar, expanding on the theme highlighted in PGW's post-election release.  Dittmar shows that Clinton did not fail to win women's support, and explains that these ideas misread past election results and thus misinterpret the 2016 voting patterns. Read the analysis here.

Mixed Election Outcomes for Latinas
Christina Bejarano finds good news in the election outcomes along with disappointments and fears for the future. She cites positives in voting, campaign engagement, and wins for women of color in congressional races -- with three new women of color entering the Senate, including the first Latina Senator, Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). Get her analysis here. 

Saturday November 12 2016 in San Jose - NWPC State Convention

Due to "election fatigue," we will host a more limited program to be held ONLY on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Hyatt Place Hotel in downtown San Jose.

The day will begin with a board meeting from 8:30 am - 10:30 am, including election of the 2017/2018 Board of Directors.

After the Board meeting, join us for a Post-Election Celebratory Luncheon honoring Senator Barbara Boxer on her retirement as one of California's first women senators. Senator Boxer will sign copies of her new book, "The Art of Tough:  Fearlessly Facing Politics and Life," followed by the luncheon and and celebration in honor Senator Boxer's birthday and for her service to the people of California.  Senator Boxer will keynote the luncheon, followed by the Honorable Delaine Eastin, former CA Assemblywoman and former CA Superintendant of Public Instruction.  The luncheon will be followed by a panel discussion on gaining appointments to public office.

We will conclude the day with an informal reception.

Parking:

The Hyatt's current parking fees are $24.00 for self-parking per day for overnight guests. They offer in and out privileges for overnight guest only.  For non-overnight guests, parking is provided for $8.00 for the  first hour, and $1.00 for each additional ½ hour, up to 8 hours.  The maximum charge for non-overnight guests is $24.00. 

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SPONSORS:

We would like to thank our Sponsors who have made this event possible.

Senator Sonsor:  Hon. Jane Parker (Monterey County Board of Supervisors)

Congress Sponsors:  NWPC Fresno, NWPC Sacramento

Benefactors:  NWPC Orange County, NWPC Pasadena

Scholarship: Sherri Loveland

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Please Note:  You do not need a PayPal account to process your credit card.  Once you complete your address information, click on "Continue to PayPal."  On the next page, fill in the information below "Continue as PayPal Guest."

WHEN
November 12, 2016 at 8:30am - 5:30pm

WHERE
Hyatt Place San Jose
282 Almaden Blvd
San Jose, CA 95113                         

REGISTER
http://www.nwpcoc.org/nwpc_ca_state_convention