Flyover 2020: Women in politics

A group of women lean hold signs that say "Dream Big, Fight Hard."
From left, Mackenzie and Sandra Flynn of Minneapolis, Jamila Mame of St. Paul, Arshia Hussain of Brooklyn Park and Lubna Mohamed Abdirahman of Robbinsdale listen to Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren speaks during a campaign stop at Macalester College.
Christine T. Nguyen | MPR News 2019
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MPR News

Only one woman, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, remains in the Democratic race for president. But that picture doesn’t tell the whole story. Across the country, more women are running for office than ever before. The 2018 election was widely hailed as the Year of the Woman, as women ran for office and voted in record numbers – many of them Democrats galvanized by the election of President Trump.

“This is so much larger than a political reaction,” says Stephanie Schriock, president of Emily’s List. “[It’s] a cultural change. So many women are saying, ‘I need to serve, I have something to offer, I can do this.’ That’s not gonna go away when Trump’s out of office.”

On Flyover 2020, we took a closer look at this new wave of women entering politics. What motivates them to get in the ring, knowing they will face discrimination and attacks?

Guests:

  • Dianne Bystrom, director emerita of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University.

  • Erin Vilardi, founder and CEO of Vote Run Lead.

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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