10 Origin Stories Women Legislators Share

Plus five we’d like to see more of in future candidates

Have you ever wondered what ‘special sauce’ women who win seats in the Legislature share? There’s no one magic formula for a successful candidacy, but there are some noteworthy common themes.

This piece is a refresh of a resource created in the early days of Close the Gap California!

10 Origin Stories Current Women Legislators

1. Roots matter. Most members have lived, worked and raised families or been part of the fabric of their districts for many years. Farmers, coaches, mentors, veterans, advocates, counselors and union activists are all self-descriptions women members use that tie them to their communities.
2. Common occupations: teachers, community college professors, social workers and legislative staff. Lawyers are less so, but well represented.
3. The majority of women legislators have served on a School Board, City Council, been a Mayor or County Supervisor prior to running for the Assembly, but not all. Almost all of the current Democratic women in the State Senate previously served in the Assembly.
4. Activism in many forms is indicative of women who win: founding a non-profit, leading a community effort for reform or being a voice for a change that takes hold. Many women members were associated with an issue before becoming candidates– education, workers’ rights, mental health, civil rights, clean government, open government and protecting children are representative examples. Some were involved in faith-based or social justice efforts.
5. All sizes and shapes of family work for legislators. Single, married, partnered, parent, non-parent, grandparent and great-grandparent. All have served.
6. Public presentation and leadership. Speaking skill, personal appearance, media management and leadership skills like organization, delegation and timeliness are embedded in the professional and public experiences of women who win.
7. Being media savvy is a plus — as a journalist, talk show host or as a spokeswoman for a community effort. A longtime media presence also helps to establish name recognition and issue expertise.
8. Executive and entrepreneurial experience is persuasive. Many members started small businesses or non-profits, led community based service clubs or volunteer efforts.
9. Look for the “karma” effect. Many members helped other elected officials advance, from being active on a Presidential campaign to supporting other women candidates before making the move themselves.
10. Like people! Women members tend to be positive, purposeful, optimistic, engaging and motivating. They often know themselves as “people collectors:” that is, they retain core information about the people they meet and know how to connect them to individuals, communities and causes that will provide mutual benefit. They enjoy interaction with the public and are risk-takers for the right cause.

5 Origin Stories We’d Like to See More Of in Future Candidates

1. Social changemaker. Who is driving positive change in the community, especially with regard to health, racial justice, housing, gun violence, immigration policy, education and fighting poverty? We need her.
2. A bandleader. Who has the credibility and critical mass to make it happen? Women candidates need to start with a base of support — from an inner circle of experienced supporters to an outer circle of admirers who will volunteer and spread the word.
3. A moneymaker. Women who bring in large gifts and grants for community non-profits, rise to the top of big companies, or women who start successful small businesses often have the drive, purposefulness and resilience that successful candidates must possess. They understand the bottom line, literally and figuratively.
4. Thought leaders. Women who head up non-profits, social impact initiatives, think tanks, start-ups, foundations and community colleges manage budgets, balance competing interests, and are generally strong policy advocates.
5. Those who understand what it means to serve. It’s called public ​service​ for a reason. Local electeds who stepped up because something needed to get done, corporate and non-profit board members, PTA Presidents, Chairs of the annual charity event, champions of the community renewal effort, leaders of the library bond campaign, architects of the successful call for reform and resulting new model. Look for them.

Close the Gap California is committed to building on progressive women’s historic momentum by recruiting them statewide and achieving equality in California by 2028. Join us!

About Close the Gap California

Close the Gap California (CTGCA) is a statewide campaign launched in 2013 to close the gender gap in the California Legislature by 2028. By recruiting accomplished, progressive women in targeted districts and preparing them to launch competitive campaigns, CTGCA is changing the face of the Legislature one cycle at a time.

One in every four women in the Legislature is a CTGCA Recruit. Our Recruits are committed to reproductive justice, quality public education, and combatting poverty, and nine of 10 serving today are women of color.