FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2010
STATE OF EMERGENCY Declared for Women Candidates: WCF Responds by Closing Their Office and Sending Entire Staff on Campaign Trail
Washington, D.C.—The following is a message from the WCF Emergency Alert System. This is not a test.
This is a warning for all residents of the United States, effective immediately:
- Election Day is 24 days away.
- Women hold only 17 percent of the seats in Congress.
- 2010 could be the first setback for women’s representation in 32 years.
The Women’s Campaign Forum (WCF) is responding to this crisis by launching MsRepresentation: shutting down their office and sending their entire staff onto the campaign trail.
Sign up to receive our MsRepresentation Daily Brief about vital women and politics news.
In the coming weeks, WCF Fellows, Staff, and our President will turn off the lights and put on their sneakers—spreading across the country to work directly with WCF-Endorsed Candidates. From Ohio to New Mexico and State House to Congress, we will be knocking on doors, calling voters, and recruiting volunteers for our candidates.
As of October 8, 2010, WCF has declared women’s political participation to be in an official state of emergency:
- Women voters are complacent.
- Female incumbents are at risk.
- Women’s political giving to female candidates remains low.
- Sexist remarks against women candidates continually harm their campaigns.
- The U.S. is ranked 90th in the world for the number of women in our national legislature.
- We may see the first backslide in Congresswomen since 1978.
The combination of these factors has lead to the perfect anti-woman storm. Only adding to the severity is the extreme and hyped political commentary spewing out of pundits and networks—warping and misconstruing the real news from the campaign trail.
In an effort to inform residents and reduce damage from the toxic partisan chatter, WCF will publish MsRepresentation's Daily Brief to report on the real stories of women and politics—from the WCF Crisis Response Team in the field to news across the country.
Those wishing to take cover can receive authentic political narrative every morning, Monday-Friday, by subscribing to MsRepresentation's Daily Brief.
With proper action and participation, we may be able to ensure that women take a step forward instead of a step back this November.
Contact: Erin L. Cutraro, Managing Vice President & Political Director, 202-681-7153, Erin@wcfonline.org
###
