Statement by National NOW President Christian F. Nunes
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The midterm election results showed just how divided our political landscape remains. While progressive candidates won important Senate races, massive spending by extremist groups that used fearmongering, racist tropes, and attacks on gender differences helped flip the House. We can now expect two years of personal attacks, toxic aggression, and more attempts to weaken democracy itself by right-wing leaders.
However, our commitment to the intersectional feminist agenda remains strong. As this change in control of Congress reminds us, this is a 50-state fight and NOW is perfectly placed to wage it. Our vast network of grassroots activists across the country made a critical difference in the wins we achieved—and helped energize a new generation of feminist voters.
The next two years will be crucial to the equal rights agenda that NOW shares with millions of people across the country. We will continue to fight for abortion rights, pay equity, access to health care, marriage equality, and ending violence against women. Our members are ready to take up the challenge of a divided government because there’s too much at stake.
This election underscored what’s on the line for women—virtually everything. And while the outcome was not everything we hoped for, we take pride in the victories we won, and are undeterred by setbacks that only make our resolve stronger.
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The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the nation’s leading membership-based advocacy group dedicated to defending women’s rights, advancing equality and combating injustice in all aspects of social, political and economic life. Through educating, mobilizing, and convening a vast network of grassroots activists across the country, NOW advocates for national, state and local policies that promote an anti-racist and intersectional feminist agenda. Since its founding in 1966, NOW has been on the frontlines of nearly every major advancement for women’s rights and continues to champion progressive values today. More about NOW’s efforts and resources is available at NOW.org.