WASHINGTON, D.C. — The results of this week’s elections send a clear message. A shift among voters in Virginia defeated McAuliffe, following a bitter and divisive campaign built on lies about racial justice and education. In New Jersey, an incumbent candidate nearly lost to a Trump-endorsed candidate who had appeared at a “Stop the Steal” rally.
As we look forward, we must “level up” our efforts to counter this tide of lies and division by increasing turnout among feminist voters. Beyond getting out the vote, we can also recruit and run strong feminist candidates, and ensure we have a seat at the table within political campaigns. NOW is working actively on these initiatives designed to make our politics more reflective of the communities in which our representatives serve, and more responsive to the needs of families, women, and children.
While we are disappointed with some of the outcomes of this election, we know that this is the curtain-raiser to the main event of next year’s contests for control of the House, Senate, and state legislatures. We know that the majority of Americans champion our same values. From access to child care to housing, to reproductive health care to paid family leave and so much more. The feminist values that unite us as NOW members are needed more than ever. It is up to us to translate that support into votes.
Next year, we will vote for women’s lives. And we will win.
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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.