The reason I ask is because Montgomery County is supposed to be the most progressive county in Maryland. And yet, we cannot seem to elect a female county executive or more than three women at a time to the county council.
Let’s focus on the council. The 2022 council will have a total of 11 seats. Five of these seats are open, and only one seat is currently held by a woman who is term-limited out.
I am worried that again we will not have female representation.
Why? Maryland Matters recently published an article asking, “Will Montgomery County elect more women to the county council?”
One hundred years after women received the right to vote, and amid Women’s History Month, someone really has to ask that question.
Sadly, it’s a fair question. Montgomery County has never had more than three women on the council at one time. It’s not that women don’t run. It’s that they don’t get the same support—even in a county where 57 percent of the democratic electorate are women.
Last election cycle, the outgoing county executive (who is a good man) endorsed only the men running in the at-large open seats. He wanted the council to have more ethnic diversity, except this diversity did not include women.
Our unions do not give women the same money as their male counterparts. This support of male candidates matters a great deal. Unions are the largest, most well-funded special interest groups in our county. They have a lot of money and mobilize members as a resource during election cycles. If you’re still not convinced, think teachers’ union, police union, firefighters’ union, Montgomery County government employees’ union, SEIU, and the nurses’ union.
The unions provide polling support, endorsements of their chosen candidates, and crowd-funding in public elections. If you review where unions have targeted their efforts, it is not toward female candidates.
So yeah, I’m beginning to think as a progressive county we have an addiction to male leaders. Maybe we should get involved in a 12-step program, like Alcoholics Anonymous, because we seem powerless to kick this habit.
I’ve felt this way for the past three election cycles. I have watched and witnessed women and men say, “I would vote for a woman, but not that woman. She’s too progressive. She’s not progressive enough. Blah, blah, blah.” I never hear these statements about male candidates. If I had a quarter for every person who said, “I will not vote for a woman just because she is a woman,” I could do some serious laundry. Of course, we vote for the best person. The reality is in a county of over a million people, where 51 percent are female, we shouldn’t have a problem electing at least three women if conditions were equal and we vote for them.
Women’s groups do not endorse candidates in the primary often because of the non-profit structure of their organization, or because they don’t want to pit member against member. National organizations like Emily’s List typically do not fund local races.
It is a complete uphill battle when a woman who is the best candidate—smart, strong and courageous—throws her hat in the ring in Montgomery County.
So, what do we do??
There is a saying in 12-step programs: “If nothing changes, nothing changes.” If women want equal representation, fair pay, better childcare options, diminished violence against women, and improved laws overall, we have to start voting for women. Let me say that again—in case you missed it—we have to start voting for women.
We can be the most progressive, say that we do support women, and espouse all of the appropriate rhetoric. We can even hold unions accountable. But the biggest action we need to take is we must start voting for women or nothing will change.
In 12-step rooms they say, “self-knowledge avails us nothing.” What this means is that simply because we know something intellectually, such knowledge alone won’t change the way we behave. We have to take action.
So, what can you do today? Here is what I’m doing. I’m joining a woman’s campaign. I am going to make a donation to the women who announce they are running. I’m not going to make excuses, or hold women to some impossible standard that male candidates never have to meet.
Pick two things you agree on with the candidate. For me, it’s economic development and fair pay. For you, it might be education and transportation. No candidate—male or female—is going to be perfect. Commit to voting for that woman because equal representation matters, and modeling female leaders for our daughters matters.
Tell ten friends what you are doing and why. Call your friends and family out when they stay in their addiction. My father and I had heated debates last election cycle. We still love each other and are friends, but this election cycle he is going to vote for more women. I’m sure of it!
Here are more suggestions. Volunteer at some level. Work a poll in the primary for a candidate. Promote a female candidate on your social media. Have a coffee for the candidate in your neighborhood.
The most important thing is vote for women and encourage ten more people to vote for the candidate you have chosen. Self-knowledge avails us nothing unless we take action. We can break this cycle by intentionally voting for more women.
