Elect Women NJ’s Call for this Year’s Endorsed Candidates Closes on July 17
Elect Women NJ’s Call for this Year’s Endorsed Candidates Closes on July 17 Elect Women NJ Works to Increase the Number of Women in Elected Local Office in New Jersey
Middletown, NJ, July 6, 2023— The Elect Women NJ 2023 endorsement application period closes on July 17, 2023. The application invites progressive women candidates running for local office to apply for funding and endorsement. Elect Women NJ works to increase the numbers and diversity of women in elected office by recruiting and funding diverse, viable candidates throughout the State.
New Jersey still ranks 21st in the country for women in elected office, including local office. Women currently make up 28% of the U.S. Congress. “This is a historic high for U.S. politics and yet it is still woefully low for 50% of the population. Women continue to be historically excluded at all levels of government and this is harmful to our democracy. Elect Women NJ was created to correct this and elect more women,” said Kerri Kennedy, Founder and Chairwoman of Elect Women NJ.
Elect Women NJ focuses on local races as one solution to challenge the systemic and historic underrepresentation of women in government. Local offices are critical in addressing community needs and fostering thriving neighborhoods. Local politics influence national conversations around education, human rights, and reproductive health. “At a local level, the women we fund significantly impact our daily lives. We are seeing an increase in women running for Board of Education positions as the national conversation around education theory, book bans, and minority and LGBTQ+ rights intensifies. We are here to support women who are standing for all of our rights.” said Tricia Maguire, Founder and Executive Director of Elect Women NJ.
In 2022, Elect Women NJ endorsed 25 women from 13 counties across the state. 65% of the endorsed candidates won their races and 77% identified as Black, Latina, South Asian or LGBTQ+. Elect Women NJ Vice-Chairwoman Kathy Williams said, “We had a 17% increase in funding diverse candidates over the last two years. We will continue to prioritize and fund more groundbreaking wins this year.”
Applications are due by July 17, 2023. Elect Women NJ Executive Committee, Kerri Kennedy, Tricia Maguire, Kathy Williams and Founder and Treasurer Linda Peng-Grooters are thrilled to announce that two new board members have joined this year: Shelly Bell, who serves as Chief Operating Officer of Robin Bell Consulting, and former Flemington Mayor Betsy Driver. The board of directors will review and score the applications and announce endorsements on September 1, 2023. Elect Women NJ will host a virtual event soon after the announcement to feature the endorsed candidates.
For more information on the endorsement process and application, please visit us at www.electwomennj.com.
