Reflections on Louisiana Women Lead’s Fall ’22 Training
“Karina, are you excited about the training?” Early on Saturday, October 15, I woke up to a text message from Renee Amar, the Executive Director and Founder of Louisiana Women Lead. Louisiana Women Lead, a state partner of Women’s Public Leadership Network, had just kicked off their fall training for women who are considering or curious about running for public office. Located in Los Angeles, California, I was responsible for highlighting the event on social media. In a hurry, I sent my son off to his soccer game, grabbed my coffee and laptop, and began creating social media reels and graphics from my dining table.
For the first time, I was responsible for managing an organization’s social media account, and that Saturday, the pressure to do it well felt stronger. My goal was to capture the training by highlighting it on their social media accounts and keeping followers engaged with the content. Still, most importantly, it was to highlight the organization’s commitment to increasing center-right women's representation in Louisiana and join them in inspiring women to run for public office or seek appointed positions. Through the text messages and email exchanges between Renee and me, I knew that the women in the classroom were receiving very valuable mentorship and insight into political campaigns. Then, something unexpected happened.
Two thousand miles from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, featured training speakers State Representative Julie Emerson, State Senators Heather Cloud and Sharon Hewitt, and former State Representative Shirley Bowler spoke to me. Their personal stories and anecdotes challenged me to let go of doubt. So often, women fall into the trap of imposter syndrome. We doubt our skills, talents, and accomplishments, making the thought of running for public office even scarier. In addition to those women, I think about Congresswoman Julia Letlow, who also spoke at the fall training. She’s a woman that recently experienced the loss of her spouse; she’s a mother, and like women leaders before her, she embodies strength, resilience, courage, and service. They reassured me that women could do it and women can LEAD.
So, I think it’s time to empower more center-right-leaning women to run for office, and Louisiana Women Lead is leading that charge. Unfortunately, today, only 19% of Louisiana legislators are women.[1] Even sadder, center-right-leaning women like me will receive less support or encouragement when deciding to or running for office. While center-right-leaning women need support and encouragement to run for office, getting their name on the ballot and speaking in front of constituents is real and serious work. In California, center-right-leaning women, or anyone who thinks similarly, are quickly dismissed as intolerable or, even worse, racist. It’s ironic that I, a first-generation American with parents from Mexico, could fall into that category.
Considering the challenges, I’m glad that Louisiana Women Lead brought political campaign and communications strategists and finance and compliance experts to equip the women in the class to run an effective campaign and win. Ruth Wisher provided an important lesson on how to give an effective stump speech. She told the class, “Be Authentic, Be Adaptable, and Be Relatable.” Marie Centanni challenged the class to be bold and confident in their positions; to any opponent considering entering the race, she said, “make them think twice about running against you.” Nicole DesOrmeaux, a fundraising consultant, taught the class how to communicate effectively with potential donors, which is essential to raising enough funds to get your campaign message heard. Amanda Maloy taught a valuable lesson on campaign rules and regulations, the importance of remaining compliant, and how candidates can stay above board when they run for office.
Lastly, I must recognize the two men who taught at the fall training. First, John Couvillion, the founder of JMC Enterprises Analytics and Polling, shared important insight on why polls matter and how to use them to drive an effective campaign strategy. Andrew Bautsch, the Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Julia Letlow, taught the class how to read the political landscape of Louisiana and how to run in each district. This is where WILL met STRATEGY, and the women in the class experienced an increase in both on that Saturday’s fall training.
Overall, I’m glad that the women who attended the training left inspired and equipped with tools to represent their family, friends, neighbors, and constituents in the public office positions they will serve next. As a mother and woman who is faith-driven, I resonated with the words expressed by State Senator Sharon Hewitt at the training – “You have to use the talent God has given you, whether it is at the federal, state, or local level. And you have to use your gifts to serve.” So, if you are reading this and you are still doubting whether you should or can serve in public office, I’d like to reassure you that you are capable, and it’s your time to LEAD.
[1]https://house.louisiana.gov/llwc/default_LLWC_AboutUs#:~:text=Currently%2C%20there%20is%20a%20total,serving%20in%20the%20Louisiana%20Legislature.