Election 2022 Preview Part II: What We Need for Parity
In Part I, we shared our perspective on the exciting milestones ahead for women — here’s what we need going forward to keep charting the #PathtoParity!
In case you missed part I-
WHAT WE NEED GOING FORWARD
This year, women will cross the 1/3rd representation threshold for the first time in California history — but 2022 is just the beginning of our opportunity to leverage greater equity. 2024 will yield at least a 20% turnover in the Legislature due to term limits alone, potentially higher depending on domino effects from Congressional retirements and continued shifts in partisanship. Turnover in 2026 and 2028 will not be far behind.
We urge our allies and supporters to keep the following flags in mind as we get ready for 2024, 2026 and 2028.
VOLUME: we need even MORE women to run
Although targeted recruiting has helped push the number and diversity of women running for legislative seats to an all-time high, the female percentage of the candidate field (37.97%) actually went down slightly from 2020 (38.38%). The overall trends for the number and diversity of women running is positive, with women’s share of the field increasing 18% since 2018 (32.12%).
But the trajectory is not climbing fast enough. To reach parity, women need to make up at least 50% of the candidate field 2024–2028. Even with strong performances by the women of 2022, the volume of female candidates is not yet what we need in order to hit key benchmarks.
- Get used to woman vs. woman in open seats
2022 saw more than one female candidate compete for 28 different open legislative seats. Eleven became high profile contests between two women. While this trend might qualify as the most awkward definition of success for many of us, it is increasingly the new normal, and must become so if women are to win seats in equal numbers to men. Endorsers should prepare to navigate the complexities this raises, and allies can and should collaborate to maximize resources for women.
CALIBER: credentials matter
California’s State Legislature is not a high-odds place to begin a career in leadership. Of Close the Gap’s Class of 2022, a strong majority of those who won a spot in the top 2 (10/16) had previously been elected to a local government position, often to multiple terms.
The two relative newcomers who earned Senate runoff spots brought powerful networks and a personal narrative that reflected majorities in the district. The Assembly candidates were able to point to high-profile appointments in an area of professional expertise, or a longstanding role as a visible community leader with tangible accomplishments to tout. The majority of women who did not place in the top two had none of the above.
INVESTMENT: Values-driven women need more of it
Progressive women candidates cannot yet tap an equal counterpoint to the spending power and informal networks of privilege that their opponents enjoy.
Progressives are still vastly outspent by industry, and disparities in prioritization and resource-sharing persist along all-too-familiar demographic lines. To the extent that talented women know this, it’s more difficult for Close the Gap and our allies to convince them to run. The candidates of tomorrow need to see that constituencies who share their values will be there for them on the other side if they decide to run. The challenge of the Motherlode ahead demands creativity, collaboration, and investment on par with the pace of change we want to drive.
The opportunity to tee up new women leaders is clear, and a plan is in place. Close the Gap and our organizational partners have demonstrated strong proof of concept, but we want to be able to target every single open and winnable seat for women, not just the ones we can manage with our current capacity.
Every dollar makes a difference, and we are grateful for the support that has brought us to the inflection point of today.
If the ecosystem of early support and guidance for values-driven women can keep up the volume and the caliber of candidates, the election cycles ahead will provide what women need to net gains all the way to parity. It’s our opportunity to lose, join us!
“In this time of legislative turnover, who comes next will determine what comes next. The nation will look to the pipeline of leaders and innovative policy solutions we battle-test here in the years to come.”
–Executive Director Susannah Delano in CalMatters February, 2022
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.
Nearly one in every three women in the Legislature is a CTGCA Recruit. Our Recruits are committed to reproductive justice, quality public education, and combatting poverty, and 11 of 12 serving today are women of color.
