You might have seen the March 9^th posting on YaleWomen’s Facebook page that opened: “At least 494 women, both Republicans and Democrats, have said they’re running for Congress this year, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. That’s up from 312 women who filed to run for House or Senate in 2016.”

And it’s not just Congress.  Women are running at all levels of government. Recently, I met one at SOM’s student-led Philanthropy Conference, which draws professionals from throughout the tri-state area. She introduced herself by saying that she’d attended YaleWomen’s 2014 Gender Rules Symposium and that hearing Debbie Walsh, executive director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers, had changed her life. In what way, I asked. I am running for state senator, she said. YaleWomen never knows where its seeds might be planted, or when or how they might take root.

If you are considering running for political office, be sure to connect with the Women’s Campaign School at Yale. WCSY is a nonpartisan, issue-neutral political campaign-training program, the mission of which is to increase the number and influence of women in elected and appointed office in the United States and around the globe. For two decades, WCSY has launched hundreds of women into the world of political campaigns, including running for office and managing campaigns, as well as advancing their careers in public service.

The 2018 session runs June 11-15 in New Haven.  Registration is open through April 16^th.

- Susan E. Lennon ’85 MPPM