For a woman to reach the White House, the 2012 elections will be key

But the election of more women won’t happen on its own. In a study of state legislators conducted by our organization, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University, almost twice as many women as men said they decided to run only after it was suggested to them, while nearly twice as many men as women said the decision to run was entirely theirs. We frequently observe that men are apt to wake up, look in the mirror and think, “I’d make a great state senator!” Female candidates more often need to be recruited.

One woman who started as an advocate for education, ended up on her local school board and then in the state legislature before rising still further, begins her official online bio by admitting, “Patty Murray never planned to enter politics, but today she is serving her fourth term in the U.S. Senate as a member of the Democratic Leadership.” Adding to the challenge, about a third of female state representatives, compared with only about a quarter of men, say someone tried to discourage them from running — most often an officeholder or party official.

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Political parties remain the largest roadblock on women’s path to public office. If either major party made it a real priority to elect more women — with more than just an occasional tip of the straw boater to efforts at inclusion — we’d see immediate and substantial progress. But the old boys’ network retains its grip on power. At the local level, both parties draw largely from the same shallow pool of candidates — the ones who decide to seek office themselves (usually men). As for building a more gender-balanced ballot? The parties leave that to the groups that focus solely on finding female candidates.

Organizations across the political spectrum — from Emily’s List to the Susan B. Anthony Fund, from Emerge America (for Democrats) to the Excellence in Public Service Series (for Republicans) — have made significant efforts to advance women in politics. But it shouldn’t fall to women’s groups alone to generate slates of female candidates. Electing women should be on the minds of all who select and promote candidates. The pipeline that would fill with women at the local level and channel them into successively higher offices may not be empty now, but we need more than a trickle — we need a torrent.

Which women should step forward to run? Political women typically come from professions more common for women in general: education, nursing, social work and, more recently, the law. But to get many more women involved, we need to look beyond traditional sources. Three recent examples: Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) worked for an Internet start-up that eventually became RealNetworks. Former representative Heather Wilson (R-N.M.), currentlyrunning for the Senate, had a career as an Air Force officerand is an expert on defense, arms control and business development. Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-N.Y.) is a retired ophthalmologist.

Eager for more female candidates, including some who don’t fit the traditional patterns, we’re working on the 2012 Project — a national, nonpartisan CAWP campaign in collaboration with California political strategist Mary Hughes to increase the number of women in federal and state legislative offices. Our goal is to identify and engage accomplished women 45 and older to run for office, women who already have established careers and reduced family responsibilities. We are especially seeking women from fields and industries underrepresented in elective offices, including finance, science, technology, energy and health care.

We want to inspire thousands of women to ponder a new idea: that their talents and experience might equip them to run for office.

Here are a few candidates who are heeding this call and considering races for the state legislature or Congress:

l A Pennsylvania Republican entrepreneur and expert in health-care and biotech management who encountered the 2012 Project at an Association for Women Entrepreneurs event. Her children are grown, and she believes that her skills can make government better.

l  A Florida Democrat who is a retired teacher and current real estate agent, and who heard about the project at a Women’s Council of Realtors event. She cares deeply about education and has been politically active at the local and state levels. She sees that now is her chance to run.

l A Republican lawyer in Louisiana motivated to run by inequities in health care. She believes that vulnerable people don’t get the care they need because the system is broken, inefficient and difficult to navigate.

l A New York Democrat, owner of an online solar and renewable-energy business, who is considering a run to address issues important to her: progress on alternative energy and key environmental concerns, as well as access to education.

They’re in the vanguard, but others must follow. As Ferraro once said, “Every time a woman runs, women win.” We can’t afford to miss the unique opportunity for that victory in 2012. Once that door closes, it won’t be as wide open again until after the next census — and we can’t wait until 2022.

Debbie Walsh is director, and Kathy Kleeman is senior communications officer, at the Center for American Women and Politics, part of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

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