Women & Presidential Politics
By Kalestine E . Butler Orlando , Florida
We are twenty months away from the 2020 General Election , and it ' s like football season for this political junkie . The Democratic candidates are Senators , mayors , members of the House of Representatives , and entrepreneurs . They are male , female , gay , straight , and ethnically diverse - it ' s America . Twenty people have already jumped into the fray , with more to come . Some people , media included are losing their minds over the larger than usual field on the Democratic side , but this is not the first time this has happened . In 1972 , thirteen Democrats sought the nomination and in 2016 , seventeen candidates vied for the Republican nomination . What is unusual about this election cycle is the number of women that are running . There are currently six women candidates for President of the United States . This is history folks !
Most of the media coverage thus far has been about the large number of women candidates , and many of the political pundits attribute this to Hillary Clinton breaking the glass ceiling with her 2008 and 2016 runs . I ' m a social media devotee , and in the Twitterverse , some say Hillary Clinton , others say Shirley Chisolm made it possible with her 1972 presidential run .
In fact , there have been other women to run for President , so let me share a bit about some of the " firsts ". I ' ll start with Victoria Woodhull , who was the first female presidential candidate in 1872 . A member of the Women ' s Suffrage Movement , Woodhull ran on the Equal Rights Party ticket . Woodhull didn ' t meet the constitutional qualifications to run , because she was too young and was largely ignored for this reason . She chose Frederick Douglass as her running mate . Yes , Frederick Douglass , the black abolitionist . It is believed that she chose Douglass to help resolve a conflict between the members of the Suffrage Movement and the black Abolitionists who had once been allies . Douglass was placed on the ballot despite his absence at the convention and never accepting a position on the ticket . Suffice it to say , this ticket was not victorious .
Margaret Chase Smith was the first woman to be nominated for the presidency by a major party . The Republican Party nominated Chase Smith at its 1964 convention . The Maine native was the wife of Congressman Clyde Smith . When Smith fell too ill to serve , his wife , Chase Smith ran for his seat in a special election and won . After serving in the House of Representatives
Women & Presidential Politics Kalestine E . Butler Orlando , Florida Women In Business March 2019
Dozens of lawmakers appeared at the Capitol on Tuesday dressed in white to show solidarity with women ahead of President Trump