Commentary: EL PASO, TX -Record numbers of women are running for office in Texas this year. And Annie’s List, a political action group that helps elect progressive women in our state, wants to help them get there! Annie’s List elects women by providing support and training, like Candidate 101, held this week in El Paso. The immediate goal is to build the bench of women running for El Paso city and school board elections. The two-hour workshop takes place this Thursday, April 19th, at the Beto for Texas headquarters, 415 E. Yandell Drive, from 6 to 8 pm.
Led by Annie’s List El Paso Steering Committee Co-chairs, Susie Byrd and Diana Ramos, attendees will learn the questions to ask as they make a decision and the actions to take to be ready to run. They will also hear from El Paso City Council members Cassandra Hernandez-Brown and Claudia Ordaz, who will share their experience and insight gained running for and holding office.
Annie’s List wants to encourage and educate more women seeking to serve locally. The organization has a strong track record of preparing women for races up and down the ballot. Of the 80+ Democratic women who filed to run for the legislature in this year’s Texas primaries, the organization trained or supported more than 60% of them.
“With El Paso city council elections this November and more city council and school board elections in May 2019, now is the time to get women focused on their path from citizen to candidate,” said Susie Byrd, El Paso ISD School Board Trustee. “Local elections are slated at the same time as the mid-terms, so women don’t have to wait until 2020 to make a difference in this community. We aren’t just looking for women who are already in politics; we want to engage women who have passion for public service and the skills to get things done.”
Annie’s List Program Director Kimberly Caldwell underscored the importance of preparing early. “Running for public office is a big decision-- and we want every woman interested to have as much information as early as possible,” Caldwell shared. “Opportunities to run and the window of time to jump in a race often happen very quickly. We want to get women to a well-informed and confident ‘yes’. Candidate 101 workshops gives lots of great information during a fun and relaxed atmosphere.”
Following this workshop Annie’s List will be back in July for an all-day Run to Leadtraining, which will teach women how to oversee their campaigns for local office. The cost to attend Candidate 101 is $15 and scholarships are available.
For more information and to register, click here.
About Annie’s List
Annie’s List is a statewide political organization dedicated to changing the face of power in Texas politics. We do this by recruiting, training and supporting progressive women to get them elected to office in Texas. Annie’s List champions those candidates who are dedicated to advancing the self-determination, health, safety and financial security of Texas women and their families.
Since its founding in 2003, Annie’s List has raised more than $15 million and trained thousands of women to run for office. Women endorsed by Annie’s List have won 100 plus races up and down the ballot across the state.
Annie’s List holds the following principles, whereby electing progressive women, they promote an agenda that:
- Protects access to a full range of sexual and reproductive health care for all women
- Provides affordable and accessible health care for all Texas families
- Advances the inclusion and protection of marginalized and disenfranchised Texans in all aspects of public life
- Creates equitable economic opportunities, wages and working conditions for women
- Prevents violence against women and children and assists those who do become victims
- Supports high quality and accessible public education for all children, pre-K through college