Truth: Getting elected to political office just hits different for women than it does for men. So the strategies women employ should be different too. We asked 15 women in politics—everyone from U.S. Representatives to governors to mayors to political strategists—for their best advice on getting up to speed and gearing up for success.
Their consensus: Start prepping the very day after you win, whether you’re about to work on a local school board, your city council, or the state house. Also, since support from political establishments is lacking, you’re gonna have to DIY a lot of this. But that’s okay, because here’s another truth: You should never underestimate the power of a carefully curated professional support system.
Kate Gallego
First, be willing to acknowledge that you need help, advises Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “I tried to do everything myself, but I soon learned that people like to support women who don’t pretend to be superhuman.”
Lisa Blunt Rochester
“Find your people,” says Lisa Blunt Rochester, a U.S. Representative from Delaware. “I reengaged with a group I’d lost touch with, the Delaware chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. One organization led to another—and support across many networks.”
Leslie Osborn
“Identify the advocacy groups that push for the same agenda as you; many have been operating for years before you got elected and have great tips on how the system really works,” says Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn.
Dayna Polehanki
Search for an advisor you can learn from, says Michigan State Senator Dayna Polehanki, who found hers on Facebook. “I messaged her and we met at a local Panera for 10 minutes. She’s now my political mentor.”
Julie von Haefen
Attend conferences and meetings with legislators from around the country, says North Carolina State Representative Julie von Haefen. “This has helped me create a network I can turn to when things get stressful.”
Jasmine Crockett
Establish unlikely alliances by befriending colleagues who are of the opposite mindset as you, says Jasmine Crockett, a U.S. Representative from Texas. “There will come a time in which they prove invaluable.”
Maura Healey
Surround yourself with a team of people who know you and the unique challenges you face as a woman—and who will be honest with you, says Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.“Also: recharge. All the professional support in the world doesn’t matter if you’re not taking care of yourself.”
Jessica Goodman is the New York Times bestselling author of young adult thrillers They Wish they Were Us, They’ll Never Catch Us, and The Counselors. She is the former op-ed editor at Cosmopolitan magazine, and was part of the 2017 team that won a National Magazine Award in personal service. She has also held editorial positions at Entertainment Weekly and HuffPost, and her work has been published in outlets like Glamour, Condé Nast Traveler, Elle, and Marie Claire.
