The WeLead Reader
June 15, 2019

From Tragedy to Activism: In the aftermath of the horrific 2012 Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, then stay-at-home mom and current activist Shannon Watts decided to take matters into her own hands by converting her anger into advocacy. Watts launched Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense In America, an organization whose mission is to stop gun violence. With over six million eager supporters following her each step of the way, Watts provides a candid account of her time with the organization in this comprehensive interview. The Huffington Post

“Please, call me Anne”: As one of only six female attorneys general in office during her tenure, former New Jersey AG Anne Milgram often found herself the only woman in the room. Despite this gender disparity, however, Milgram managed one of New Jersey’s largest agencies while at the helm of the state’s justice department; additionally, she cracked down on corruption, gang violence, and mortgage fraud. Today, Milgram works as a professor at NYU and and runs the school’s criminal-justice innovation lab. Milgram’s is profiled as part of Market Watch’s “Ceiling Smashers” series.

Omar’s Origins: A refugee from Somalia, a country that is now part of the President Trump’s Muslim ban, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has made traction in Congress by becoming one of Trump’s most outspoken critics to date. This article details Omar’s background and rise to prominence, noting her humble beginnings as a Somalian refugee and her now-resolute demeanor while in office. “I was never the type of person who threw your hands up and believed that nothing could be changed,” Omar asserted. “What has always driven my activism has always been in seeing myself as part of the solution in creating that change.” Middle East Eye

No fifth term for Indiana's 5th: Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN), currently the head of GOP recruitment for 2020, is one of only thirteen Republican women in the House of Representatives. She has chosen not to seek reelection, saying her decision is based on “How do I want to spend the next chapter of my life?" She’s ruled out running for any other elected office, but "will continue to encourage others, including with her political action committee through which she's prioritized supporting female candidates."  IndyStar

A New Hope: As the only Democrat currently holding statewide elected office in Florida, AG Commissioner Nikki Fried, age 41, has emerged in the spotlight and is promoting herself at the annual gathering of Florida Dems in Orlando as "a new hope" for the party.  She has advocated on behalf of a number of issues, from medical marijuana, to the environment, and the importance of female leadership in government. "Fried talked about the party's future being built on a younger generation's values, and a woman's leadership."  As she looks at the field of Democratic presidential candidates, she said she would endorse someone later this summer after the debates - "recognizing that my voice carries water in this state," she'll be seriously considering the women candidates. Florida Politics

The Future for AOC: Buzz amongst Democrats is at an all-time high as many suspect that congressional newcomer Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) will challenge one of New York’s two leaders -- Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) -- for a coveted Senate seat in 2022 or 2024, respectively.  Amassing a large following and social media presence during her 2018 House campaign, Democrats believe that AOC has the ability to overtake her veteran colleagues in an upcoming election.  Paired with a Harris Poll, which shows that socialism is rising in popularity, Ocasio-Cortez’s long-term prospects seem promising. Axios

The Next AOC Buzz?:  Jessica Cisneros, a 26-year old human rights and immigration attorney from Laredo, is mounting a primary challenge to seven-term incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and she's just been endorsed by Justice Democrats, the grassroots PAC that helped AOC defeat incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) in 2018.  Cisneros, has a unique take on her opponent, because in 2014 she interned in his office: "He took the people of South Texas for granted. It was a very insightful experience. And that's when I (thought), 'You know what, that's going to be me one day running for Congress. I'm going to listen to the issues that South Texans want to be addressed. I'm going to listen to the people, and I'm going to be a fierce advocate for them.'” Laredo Morning Times, Vogue

More AOC Effect: "Several women candidates have already emerged as buzz-worthy progressive challengers to longtime, often unopposed Democratic incumbents."  Calling it the “AOC effect,” women are stepping up to challenge incumbents they feel do not represent them. In this Progressive piece, read about three of them: Mckayla Wilkes challenging House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Ihssane Leckey taking on Rep. Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA), and Zina Spezakis running against Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ). Progressive

"How the Democratic Party is Sidelining Women Like Me”: Writing in POLITICO, Jennifer Burton a Democratic media consultant and owner of the firm SWAY, claims Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the DCCC are preventing women and minorities from electoral success in the upcoming elections. According to the new policy, they are blacklisting consultants who work for Democratic incumbent challengers, refusing to recommend the consultants to their preferred candidates in future elections. While the policy is meant to protect Democrats, "they are cutting off opportunities for female and minority political consultants - often leaving key decisions about messaging and voter outreach in the hands of white men." POLITICO

Yay for Yeager: Brig. Gen. Laura Yeager makes history this month when she becomes the first woman infantry division commander in the history of the United States. On June 29, Yeager will assume command of the California National Guard's 40th Infantry Division. The Iraq War veteran says of her career in the military, "Clearly, females are in the minority within the military, yet in every assignment I have held, my mostly male peers, subordinates and superiors, have supported me, treated me with respect, coached, mentored and advised me. At the same time, I have been inspired by the incredibly strong and amazing women I have served with and for." ABC News

Hires in New Hampshire: Sen. Kirsten Gilibrand (D-NY) invests in the early primary state of New Hampshire, by hiring on a slew of new women, quadrupling the number of her staffers in the state to eight. Gillibrand brings on Maggie Seppi as organizing director, Casey Neal as a deputy political director, Nadia Jaferey as a deputy political director, and Katie Whittington as digital organizing director. WMUR

Moving Up By Moving South?: Sarah Huckbee Sanders, press secretary for the Trump Administration, will leave her position at the end of June. She has worked as press secretary since 2017, but Huckabee Sanders is moving back south to her home state of Arkansas, where she has floated the idea of running for governor. It is still a mystery who will replace her in the position, although some speculate first lady Melania Trump’s White House Director of Communications, Stephanie Grisham, may be in the running. Axios, New York Times, Washington Examiner

“Women Will Eject Him”: During the 2018 midterm election, women composed 52% of the electorate. This has glaring implications for sitting President Donald Trump, as a new Hill-HarrisX poll suggests that 62% of registered female voters are unlikely to support Trump’s bid for a second term -- especially women of color. In contrast to 51% of men (who were either on board for Trump or were leaning to re-elect him), these numbers highlight women’s mounting frustrations with the current administration; the statistics also speak to the importance of going out to the polls and voting. The Hill

The Issue of Electability: In this opinion piece, Jennifer Rubin maintains that the oft-sexist question of “electability” has plagued many of the 2020 female contenders’ campaigns, even though these women are “running circles around their male competitors when it comes to serious and detailed policy proposals.” Rubin suggests that one of the current female front-runners must address the issue of electability head-on, working to eradicate the faulty assumption that women are incapable of leading. The Washington Post

Doctors and Debates: Planned Parenthood Action Fund is hosting a health-care focused debate with the Democratic contenders for the 2020 presidential election in Columbia, SC on June 22nd. Among the confirmed attendees are Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, and former Vice President Joe Biden. Kelly Robinson, the group’s executive director, is clear about the motivations for the debate: “If the 13 million-plus Planned Parenthood supporters turn out to the polls and activate their networks, they can tip the 2020 election.” New York Times

➤➤Kirsten Gillibrand

News & Analysis

• Kirsten Gillibrand Meets Donor Requirement for 2020 Debate  New York Post
• Kirsten Gillibrand Compares Anti-Abortion Views to Racism HuffPost
• Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: Politician and Food Policy Advocate Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center
• Kirsten Gillibrand is Running on Girl Power Refinery29
• 20 Questions For 2020: Kirsten Gillibrand NowThis News

Opinions & Columns

• Andrew Brown: Kirsten Gillibrand's 'Family Bill Of Rights' Has a Faulty Premise: Government 'Help' Is Actually Helpful Washington Examiner

➤➤Kamala Harris

Last weekend, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) riled up crowds in South Carolina. Harris used the event to address mounting attention surrounding her role as a federal prosecutor in the early days of her career. While San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general, Harris was forced to choose between political activism in law enforcement, and enforcing the laws as written. Some pundits and members of the electorate take issue with her choices, but Harris is embracing her history. Bloomberg, POLITICO

The Iowa Democratic Hall of Fame hosted Harris and three other candidates in Waterloo, where she spoke at Union Missionary Baptist Church to a group of 200 potential supporters. She highlighted her goals of repealing the 2017 tax cuts, and said if she has to, she will use executive action to require background checks before the purchase of a firearm. The group included many young people, some too young to even vote in the election, speaking to the growing interest in the 2020 election. One attendee said, “She did a great job, a very articulate and smart woman (who speaks) directly to the needs and wants of the people.” The Courier

News & Analysis

• Harris: Justice Dept. 'Would Have No Choice' But to Prosecute Trump After Presidency NPR
• Fact-Checking Kamala Harris on the Campaign Trail New York Times
• Kamala Harris Didn’t Act for 5 Years on Policy to Help Ensure Fair Trials Wall Street Journal
• Where Does Kamala Harris Stand on Student Loan Debt? Forbes
• Harris' Policies on Women Earn Praise from Some in NH New Hampshire Union Leader
• After Promising Start, Kamala Harris Looks for Ways To Break Through Christian Science Monitor
• Kamala Harris, Seeking a Campaign Jolt, Defends Record as Prosecutor New York Times
• Harris’ Husband Takes on Growing Public Role in 2020 Race Associated Press

➤➤Amy Klobuchar

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) visited New Hampshire for a “Politics and Eggs” breakfast with the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.  (WMUR, NECN, New Hampshire Union Leader). At the sold-out event, Klobuchar laid out her progressive and “commonsense” agenda to over 200 attendees. “I believe we need to restore and revive the heart of our democracy,” she said. Afterward, Klobuchar campaigned Concord and Somersworth.

In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Klobuchar capitalized on her midwestern roots, saying her focus in Washington is in agriculture policy and bridging the urban and rural divide (CBS Iowa). To a crowd of over 1,400 Democratic activists, Klobuchar took over the banquet hall, reminding them she is their northern neighbor and feels many of the same pains.

News & Analysis

• Presidential Candidate and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar WBUR
• Walter Mondale Predicts Amy Klobuchar Will 'Wear Well' In 2020 Contest Washington Examiner
• Amy Klobuchar Says Trump Treats Farmers Like "Poker Chips" in His "Bankrupt Casinos" Face the Nation

➤➤Elizabeth Warren

250 people packed into the backyard at Bridget Saffold’s home in Waterloo, Iowa, to hear Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) pitch for the Democratic nomination. Warren cited her endless, ever-expanding list of detailed plans, contrasting herself with candidates whose campaigns are significantly less substance-based.

Noticing her growing support, media outlets are elevating Warren’s coverage: FiveThirtyEight asks in the “Politics Podcast,” “Is Elizabeth Warren Surging?”, New York Magazine highlights a recent well-respected Selzer poll showing Warren’s growing support in Iowa, and POLITICO touts Warren’s standout performance on a packed Democratic stage in Cedar Rapids. See photos from the chaotic Iowa Democrats’ Hall of Fame dinner here.

News & Analysis

• Elizabeth Warren Has Lots of Plans. Together, They Would Remake the Economy. New York Times
• Elizabeth Warren Gains Momentum in the 2020 Race Plan by Plan The Guardian
• Elizabeth Warren Needs a Plan for Dealing with Mitch McConnell The Week
• How Elizabeth Warren's Weak-Dollar Plan Will Crash the Stock Market Forbes
• Warren’s Wealth Tax Isn’t Enough Slate
• Elizabeth Warren Sounds Very Open To Ranked Choice Voting Boston.com
• How ‘I’ve Got A Plan For That’ is Impacting Sen. Warren’s Momentum MSNBC
• Elizabeth Warren’s Native American Ancestry Draws a Shrug From These Voters New York Times

Opinions & Columns

• Willie Brown: Elizabeth Warren Can Win The Nomination. California Is Key. San Francisco Chronicle
• Ryan Bourne: Elizabeth Warren Should Give Up Her Stake In A Bad Idea Cato Institute

➤➤Tulsi Gabbard

• Brad Bannon: Tulsi Gabbard Has A Future In Politics — But Not at the White House The Hill
• Tulsi Gabbard Had a Very Strange Childhood New York Magazine
• Who Is Tulsi Gabbard? A Bio Of the Democratic Presidential Candidate PolitiFact

➤➤Marianne Williamson

• 2020 Candidate Marianne Williamson: Too Many Democrats Are "Half-Truth Tellers" and Donald Trump Will Eat Them Alive RealClearPolitics
• Who Is Marianne Williamson? A Bio of the Democratic Presidential Candidate PolitiFact
• Inside Oprah's Secret Advice to Beat Trump MSNBC

“A Feminine Advantage?”: With a record number of women running, and winning, how the gender of candidates influences the electorate deserves more study. In this paper, “A Feminine Advantage? Delineating the Effects of Feminine Trait and Feminine Issue Messages on Evaluations of Female Candidates,” Nichole M. Bauer (Louisiana State University) tests the effects of trait-based and issue-based “feminine” campaign messaging through two survey experiments. She finds that when candidates emphasize feminine traits, appeal to voters decreases. When feminine issues are touted, the opposite is true. Stereotypes surrounding women benefit and hurt them in the political arena; some stereotypes, such as greater honesty, can be employed, for example, following a scandal. Additionally, party affiliation of the candidate makes a significant impact: Democratic and GOP women experience very different responses to the inclusion of feminine traits and issues in their campaigns. She concludes, “The key is that female candidates need to leverage their status as women in ways that do not activate broader stereotypes about women as lacking the qualities needed for holding political office.” When women can explicitly persuade voters they maintain the qualities necessary for political leadership, they find greater success in the polls than if they campaigned exclusively on feminine traits and issues. Politics & Gender

Get Angry, Get Into Office: Valeriya Mechkova (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) and Steven Wilson (University of Nevada, Reno) dove into Twitter for an analysis of the social media platform’s role in the 2018 midterms, saying, “With nearly a quarter million tweets posted by candidates in the eight weeks before the election, [the tweets] represent a treasure trove of how candidates choose to present themselves to the public.” Evaluating and analyzing tweets from candidates for Congressional or gubernatorial office, the researchers concluded women were more likely to promote issues of health-care and social protection compared to men. Male candidates focused on what are considered to be traditionally masculine campaign issues, such as the economy and foreign policy. They established that when a woman showed more anger in her tweets, she was more likely to be elected than those who used muted and stereotypically feminine messaging: “While norms and stereotypes retain a powerful influence, they are being shifted, sometimes strategically, and sometimes through rage.” Digital Society Project

Actually Born For It: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is the most powerful woman in Washington, and the highest ranking woman elected to office in American political history. Pelosi, the daughter of former Maryland Representative Thomas D’Alesandro, grew up in a family of brothers and politics. To this day, her motivation to change the world remains unchanged: To fight against childhood poverty. Watch Pelosi’s one-on-one interview with Washington News4’s Barbara Harrison here. NBC Washington

Year of the Native Women: “1A” speaks with indigenous women filling offices in Congress and in executive positions. Reps. Sharice Davids (D-KS), a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, and Deb Haaland (D-NM), a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe, became the first Native American women elected to Congress in 2018.  Peggy Flanagan (D), a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, joins the ranks of record-breaking women with her election as the first Native American to be elected to executive office. Flanagan was elected lieutenant governor of Minnesota in 2018. Listen to Davids and Flanagan in this interview on “1A” where they dive into issues facing tribal citizens today. The 1A

Upending ‘Delicate’ Gender Dynamics: The Atlantic takes a look back to the 1890s, when men (and many women) considered the fairer sex to be virtually incompetent. Diving into their own archives, the media outlet finds articles they can hardly believe saw the light of day: “The average man understands the difference in functions of national and state governments, and knows what part the candidate for whom he votes will have to play if elected. The average woman knows nothing of this.” Get a closer look at writings from the burgeoning suffrage debate by reading this Atlantic article, published, edited, and written by women. The Atlantic

“Frida’s voice has always been a great enigma, a never-ending search.”: If you have visited an art museum, it’s likely you saw a coffee mug or poster with Frida Kahlo’s famous brows, serious face, and penetrating gaze. This week, a recording of Kahlo’s never-before-heard voice may have been unearthed, spurring new intrigue into the life of the artist. New York Times, Jezebel

Take A Right On Hidden Figures Way: The ground-breaking black women that took NASA to space are finally being recognized, and not just on the silver screen. NASA HQ, in Southwest D.C., is renaming the street outside of the building to honor the women who paved the way for NASA’s historical exploration of space. “Hidden Figures Way” was unanimously chosen by the D.C. City Council in September 2018. NBC Washington

‘Blah, blah, blah’: The United States Office of Special Counsel, unrelated to Robert Mueller, formally called for the firing of White House aide Kellyanne Conway with the publication of a scathing report.  Conway is accused of violating the Hatch Act, an act which bars some federal employees from political activity while they are on the job. The office said Conway has committed “persistent, notorious and deliberate Hatch Act violations,” and their recommendation is based on “numerous grave, legal, factual and procedural errors.” The report and recommendation are virtually unprecedented. The president responded with a dismissal of the report, calling her actions “free speech,” and rejected the recommendation: “No, I’m not going to fire her.” In late May, when asked about perceived violations of the Hatch Act, Conway replied “Blah, blah, blah.” New York Times, USA Today, The Daily Caller, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

‘Time To End The Manel Tradition’: Dr. Francis Collins, head of the National Institute of Health, called for the end of all-male panels this week: “Starting now, when I consider speaking invitations, I will expect a level playing field, where scientists of all backgrounds are evaluated fairly for speaking opportunities. If that attention to inclusiveness is not evident in the agenda, I will decline to take part. I challenge other scientific leaders across the biomedical enterprise to do the same.” Scientists have been considered primarily male for centuries, and with the help of men like Dr. Collins, that could change. New York Times

My Power is Mine: Glamour released their list of 2019 College Women of the Year and it is filled with courageous, bold changemakers. They’re the kind of women you’d be thrilled to chat up over happy hour, but some of them aren’t even old enough to drink. From a joyous gymnast whose impressive, viral routines resulted from a debilitating spine injury, to a 19-year old city councilwoman, Glamour elevates the voices of these inspiring women working to impact the world. Glamour

Tubman on the Twenty: Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin delayed the introduction of Harriet Tubman to the $20 bill, replacing Andrew Jackson. Now, a photograph has emerged of what the new bill would have looked like. Mnuchin punted the responsibility for implementation of Tubman to the bill to the next Treasury Secretary. New York Times