Women, Politics & Money: How Female Candidates are Changing the Game

I recently read an interesting article on the growing power of women to fundraise - especially women in the United State Senate. As a fundraiser, I found this article to be very true and quite on point. I'm excited to see the number of women in the Senate reach 20 and hope to see it reach 25 with the close of the 2014 elections. 

Raising money is one of the most difficult tasks for political candidates and it's probably the most important. Candidates need money to hire staff, open an office and take on the day-to-day tasks needed to win an elections. Phone banking, door knocking, sign posting, polling - to name a few - are not free yet are more than necessary for any campaign hoping to win. 

Female Senators have come a long way since the early 1990s when asking people for money to run for office was taboo and a very difficult ask but one thing that is helping many women is their ability to gauge female support. Just this weekend, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren sent an e-mail on behalf of Texas state Senator Wendy Davis who is running for Governor in Texas. Although Warren isn't from Texas and Davis won't be joining her in the U.S. Senate even if she does win, she clearly sees the significance of helping a friend out. The following is an excerpt of Warren's e-mail to prospective donors. 

"Six months later, our champion Wendy is running for governor of Texas. She's not afraid of a tough fight, and neither are we."

Davis is currently trailing her opponent Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R)  by 6 points, a lead that was at 20+ points just over 2 months ago. Davis is definitely in it to win it and everyone in Texas knows a Wendy Win will have huge implications on the state. 

And just last month, at a Democratic fundraiser in New York, First Lady Michelle Obama expressed the significance of elected women to the U.S. Senate. She discussed how narrow the margin of victory was with "Obamacare" and how close gun control legislation was to passing. "It is critical that we elect Michelle Nunn, Alison Grimes, Natalie Tennant." And anyone who knows anything about the power of the First Lady when it comes to fundraising - she speaks and people give. Fortunately for all of us, she supports really great candidates. 

Asking for money is one of the most difficult things any candidate will have to do but they must do it in order to maintain a balanced campaign. It's a necessary part of the process and for women - historically - it's an even harder ask. However, the tables have turned and women are raising a lot of money not solely because their asking but also because women who aren't running are supporting female candidates. And with women earning higher wages, earning promotions and becoming more politically involved, this may very well be the answer to how the number of women in both bodies of congress will grow. We shall definitely see in 2014. 

Asking for money is one of hte hardest, most uncoformatable things
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/11/18/2939179/alison-lundergan-grimes-attends.html#storylink=cpy