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Your Vote 2012: Step aside men

January 23, 2012 @ 7:24 pm (Updated: 9:08 am - 1/24/12 )

Does it make a difference if a man or a woman represents you in Congress, city hall or the state legislature?

With the attitude "don't get mad, get elected" there's a new effort to put more women in public office this year.

Listen to this report

MurrayWomen hold 17 percent of U.S. Senate seats and about 16 percent in the House. Around the country there are only six female governors.

In Washington, we might have a rosier view of women in politics because we have a female governor, two high profile Senators, and two Congresswomen.

However, since 1992 there has been a steady erosion of the percentage of women in our state who hold public office.

"We used to have 40 percent, the highest in the nation in 1992 actually," says Cathy Allen , a political consultant who specializes in getting women elected to office. "Since that time we've now slipped on down so we're at 32 percent right now and that's just not right for a place like Washington state."

Anyone can run for office, so what's holding women back? The answer to that question begins by realizing how men and women are different in politics.

"Men grow up thinking that they want to be president of the United States and they focus their entire lives around becoming president of the United States one day. Women come to politics because they see something that needs to be accomplished, and all of a sudden they're running for office," says Linda Mitchell, President of the National Women's Political Caucus of Washington .

One of the beliefs holding women back, she says, is that women feel like they need to accomplish many things before they run for office. Their kids need to be certain ages or they need to have a high level of work experience that can be transferred to a political career. Men, in general, assume they have whatever skills needed and don't have family restrictions, so they jump in more often.

Allen says "the money, the money, the money" also causes women to hold off on running for an elected position. They're more hesitant to ask for campaign contributions on the phone, in person or soliciting online donations.

Allen and Mitchell are involved with a national effort called The 2012 project to get more women elected, not only in high profile national positions, but as state lawmakers, mayors, judges, and school board members. The project will walk women through the steps of raising money, organizing a campaign and supporting other women who want to run for office. The first general campaign training session is next month in Tukwila.

Again, does it make a difference if a man or a woman holds an elective office?

"Not really, but always," Allen says. "We're not the status quo, we don't want to be the status quo but we would like to have a voice. We also have characteristics that are different from men. Women are known for listening more than they talk. They're known for making sure everyone's at the table, so if there's somebody left out of the loop that's part of a different ethnicity or income group, they make sure they're there."

This year there will be 20 seats in the state legislature, four statewide offices, and a new congressional seat up for grabs.

"Any woman who will take the energy and time to be able to make a difference in terms of elected office, we want them, we want them," says Allen.

She really means "any" woman, as she asks me if I'd be interested in running for a political office? My answer, "No, no, no, no, no."

Mitchell says women generally need to be asked to run for office three times before they'll consider it. That's another difference between men and women. Men are more likely to run after being asked only once.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo: Sen. Patty Murray, one of the most powerful Washington women in politics.

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (38)


  • Add A Comment

  • Normal Human wrote...
    GENDER DOES NOT MATTER ONE LITTLE BIT
    January 24, 2012 10:41 am
    Gender does not matter one little bit when I choose my elected leaders. POLITICS and values of the candidate trumps gender every time. Look what "race based voting" did to our country! Far too many sheeple voted for Obama because they wanted to cool and politically correct and vote for the first black president. Gender must not be factored in when voting for a candidate, just as race should not be factored in.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Moondoggie wrote...
    Kathy Allen twisted logic
    January 24, 2012 10:46 am
    "Not really, but always," Allen says. "We're not the status quo, we don't want to be the status quo but we would like to have a voice. We also have characteristics that are different from men. Women are known for listening more than they talk. They're known for making sure everyone's at the table, so if there's somebody left out of the loop that's part of a different ethnicity or income group, they make sure they're there." --------Women are also known for being good at English literature and art history, so if the government needs people to study these things we’ll give Kathy Allen a call. On the other hand, using Kathy Allen’s logic, if we need to deal with money and budgets, we should not elect women since they are not as qualified as men in this regard.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Dark Jedi wrote...
    There is no difference between a male or female politician
    January 24, 2012 10:57 am
    They all can be corrupted or bring some agenda to the table.

    But does gender make a difference when I vote? Nope. To quote the patch on the uniforms from the movie "Megaforce". Deeds, not words.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cdbtx wrote...
    Do a google or go to
    January 24, 2012 11:05 am
    Opensecrets.org and take a look at ActBlue. It's not necessarily about getting women elected, it's about getting women that share their ideological views elected. $58M spent with 99% going to Democrats - compare this with the $30M spent by "Big Oil".

    Personally, the thought of gender has absolutely no impact on my vote - it's all about qualifications, ethics and honesty...which might explain why I've never, nor ever will give my vote to Patty Murray.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • dillifutz wrote...
    Clearly a "Man Hater"
    January 24, 2012 11:06 am
    "Women want to accomplish something" "Men just want to be president" Please!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Derrol_o wrote...
    Arrested development II
    January 24, 2012 3:01 pm
    "Women want to accomplish something" "Men just want to be president"... Cathy Allen calls for equality and then differentiates by throwing out all these pro-womyn, anti-men stereotypes. I guess after all these years after the grade school playground, men in politics are still all greasy grimy gopher guts and womyn in politics are all sugar and spice and everything nice.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Derrol_o wrote...
    Cathy Allen's the pot calling the kettle black
    January 24, 2012 3:03 pm
    When is the last time SHE hasn't voted for a candidate based on gender?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Market72 wrote...
    Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh....
    January 24, 2012 11:53 am
    "Anyone can run for office, so what's holding women back?" Women are. In general, women cast more votes than men. Therefore, it's not a fairness problem. It seems that deep down, women don't like other women. maplefish has it right this time with his example...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Alex Mason wrote...
    The only exception is the news "chick".
    January 24, 2012 12:30 pm
    Another slow news day... However, no I don't but that's until they open their mouth. Case in point, "Debbie Wasserman Schultz".
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    Besides, if a woman was in power
    January 24, 2012 1:13 pm
    we'd ALL have to put up w/ her bitchiness one a month, and her cattyness the rest.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • roomtemp wrote...
    End women's suffrage!
    January 24, 2012 4:47 pm
    It's just not fair that they should be allowed to suffrage like that, poor things... ;-)

    Doesn't matter to me what their biology is. Give me a smart chick with a pocket constitution that treats dimes like manhole covers and protects my liberty like her own children and we're good to go. I'll even admit to a little bias because I like smart, capable, conservative, women. Ideas are what matter though, not sex.

    I yield the balance of my time to Representative NewsChick from the state of Washington... :-)

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    I don't care what gender, what age, what religon, what race
    January 24, 2012 5:33 pm
    or any whatevers, I want an elected official to take responsibilty and I want to see the victim card or the I'm oppressed card go away.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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