The Women Who Would be President: 50 Years of Trying
There are few positions of power more influential and formidable than that of President of the United States. Many have aspired to be leader of the free world, but since the first election in 1789 only forty-four men have prevailed. The presidential campaign and election is a process fraught with pitfalls not for the faint of heart. Hopefuls can count on their personal lives being under the microscope (Gary Hart) and professional history lying wide open for all to see (Chris Christie).
The road to the White House is littered with the abandoned campaigns of countless optimistic and confident folks who thought their ideals and plans were the best for our country. They soon learned however that the campaign trail is built for those that are strong, savvy, charismatic, and financially supported enough to withstand the scrutiny that comes with the job.
We know the history of men trying to get into the White House — we’ve been seeing it and reading about it for centuries. But what about the women who ran for President? In 1872 Victoria Woodhull became the first woman to declare herself a candidate for President. She ran before women were even allowed to vote! She set the precedent for all the women who followed and helped to write women’s history.
Since the presidential election of 1964, forty-nine women have appeared on the primary election rolls. Now, let’s be clear: not all of those women qualified for federal campaign matching funds (the first was Ellen McCormack in 1976) which indicates these were small campaigns that weren’t able to get the attention of the media or constituents. However, a number of those women made indelible impressions on the Equal Rights Movement, Washington politics, and the history of women’s achievements.
Margaret Chase Smith, who’s government career started when her husband became terminally ill and he asked her to carry on his legacy. Smith went on to serve five consecutive terms as Senator for Maine, starting in 1940 and ending in 1973. In 1964 she announced her intention to run for the Republican nomination, which she ultimately lost to Barry Goldwater, but it was a symbolic achievement nonetheless.
Shirley Chisholm, an African-American civil rights activist teacher from Brooklyn, became the first black woman to be elected to Congress, where she served seven terms. She ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 1972 on the grounds that no other candidate represented the inner city poor and African-Americans. Known for her outspoken criticism of Democrats in Congress, she also drew fire from black male politicians who felt like she excluded them and sided with women, Hispanics, and welfare recipients.
Ellen McCormack, a housewife from New York, became involved in politics because of her staunch opposition to abortion. She ran for the Democratic nomination for president in both 1976 and 1980, basing her campaign solely on “life” issues: anti-abortion, outlawing the death penalty, and anti-war ideals. She was on the primary ballots in eighteen states which was more than any woman had been on previously.
Sonia Johnson, an English professor and devout Mormon from Utah, became involved in politics when her beloved Mormon church spoke out against the Equal Rights Amendment. As the church’s position intensified, Johnson’s own pro-ERA agenda did too. She launched a national speaking tour about the ERA and fellow women joined her in forming a “Mormons for ERA” group. Her public disagreement with the church’s position eventually led to her excommunication, but did not stop her pro-Equal Rights work. Unfortunately, while her passion for equal rights was well known and garnered her much positive attention, her attempt at the presidential nomination in 1984 was unsuccessful. Women at the time did not view her candidacy as viable and therefore they voted Walter Mondale onto the ticket.
Lenora Fulani, a psychologist and champion of the fight to end injustice, ran for President in 1988 and 1992. She battled for decades to get Independents a spot on election ballots and to end the reign of the two-party system. She believes that there should be an additional voting option, a true alternative, to the Democratic and Republican parties. She had tough competition that election year in the form of Jesse Jackson, the first African-American to run a viable campaign. However, Fulani did become the first woman and the first African-American to appear on the ballot in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
Carol Moseley-Braun, a lawyer from Chicago and ten year elected member of the Illinois House of Representatives, ran for the Democratic nomination for President in 2000. A successful career in Washington spotlighted by achievements like being the first woman to serve on the Finance Committee, to be (along with Senator Dianne Feinstein of California) the first two women to serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee did not unfortunately lead to a Presidential nomination.
Carly Fiorina, the first woman to lead a Fortune Top 20 company (Hewlett Packard) and named the most powerful woman in business (Fortune Magazine 1998), became a consultant for various Republican campaigns after leaving HP. She announced her own candidacy aspirations in 2015 and earned a spot on the main stage for the second Republican debate in September 2016. Her performance caused her poll numbers to increase exponentially, but unfortunately her run was cut short because of the constant battle for media attention with Donald Trump and Ben Carson.
Hilary Clinton, former First Lady and Senator from New York, mounted a Democratic nomination run in 2008 against Barack Obama. Using top strategists, a platform based on her extensive experience both in the White House, as a lawyer and member of Congress, Clinton was not able to secure the nomination in 2008, but is at it again now in 2016 and with experience from being Secretary of State now under her belt.
The strides made by women over the last 50 years is commendable, and not surprising. As a number of the previous candidates have mentioned, there are so many rich men in positions of power and that has created a need for the voices of others to be heard. Men can’t speak for women and women shouldn’t be have to speak through men in order to have an audience. Times have changed so drastically over the past decades, and considering we have the first black president now, possibly the first woman Presidential candidate on the horizon, and a long and rich history of successful women in government, there’s plenty of optimism for the future.
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