PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Close the Gap CA Executive Director Susannah Delano
June 6, 2018  –  (707) 771-0939  –  susannah@closethegapca.org

Progressive Women Positioned to Replace 9 Male Legislators in 2018 State Races 

Below the Congressional “jungle primary” canopy, a groundswell of progressive women candidates is headed straight for Sacramento.

A record 98 women competed yesterday to win a spot in November run-offs for State Legislative seats. 43 will advance. This is the largest cohort of women to do so since 2004. Close the gap CA targeted 9 winnable districts to ensure at least one progressive woman was prepared to compete:

• SD 12- Anna Caballero
• SD 14- Melissa Hurtado
• SD 22- Susan Rubio
• SD 24- Maria Elena Durazo
• SD 32- Vanessa Delgado
• AD 15- Buffy Wicks, Jovanka Beckles (TBD)
• AD 16- Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
• AD 39- Luz Rivas
• AD 76- Tasha Boerner-Horvath, Elizabeth Warren

In all districts except SD 32, at least one progressive woman has advanced to November (listed above). Two thirds are women of color. All targeted seats, except AD 16 have most recently been held by men.

“For the first time in over a decade, we are witnessing a decisive uptick in the number of women serving in the California State Legislature,” said Executive Director Susannah Delano. “Close the gap CA targets open and purple, winnable seats throughout the state—including those vacated in the wake of #MeToo allegations—recruiting progressive women and positioning them to launch competitive campaigns.”

“It’s not a coincidence that these accomplished women were ready to run successful campaigns with very short runways,” continued Delano. In the past 6 months, voters have held 5 special elections to fill legislative seats vacated by men. Progressive women have already won 3 of the 5– Assemblymembers Wendy Carrillo and Sydney Kamlager, and now Assemblymember-Elect Luz Rivas. With progressive women positioned to replace male predecessors in 6 additional districts in November, 2019 could begin with gender parity numbers approaching their highest ever in California history.

“When more progressive women serve, our state’s policies become more comprehensive and just. And our Legislature itself is challenged to do better, for every Californian,” said Delano.

Close the gap CA is a campaign to achieve gender parity in the State Legislature by 2028.  After watching women drop to just 23% of the Assembly and Senate over the past decade, we decided to do something about it: we recruit progressive women to run.
For more information, please visit closethegapca.org.