Year of the Woman 2.0?

On November 6, Americans will cast their ballots in the 2018 midterm elections, with 35 seats in the Senate, 435 seats in the House of Representatives, and 36 governorships up for grabs. The GOP is expected to retain control of the Senate, while the Democrats are hoping to take the House. They will need to flip at least 23 of 73 highly competitive House seats. With 2018 heralded by various outlets as the Year of the Woman (in reference to 1992, the official Year of the Woman), here are the female candidates you should watch for on Tuesday night:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a first-time Democratic candidate for New York’s 14th Congressional district running against Republican nominee Anthony Pappas. She’s raised over $1 million in small contributions (under $200). If Ocasio-Cortez wins, she … — **Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez** is a first-time Democratic candidate for New York’s 14th Congressional district running against Republican nominee Anthony Pappas. She’s raised over $1 million in small contributions (under $200). If Ocasio-Cortez wins, she will become the youngest woman ever elected to Congress at 28-years-old.

Stacey Abrams is a Democrat running for governor of Georgia against incumbent Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. In an extremely tight race, Abrams was recently endorsed by Oprah. If elected, she will become the first black woman to serve as a U… — **Stacey Abrams** is a Democrat running for governor of Georgia against incumbent Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp. In an extremely tight race, Abrams was recently endorsed by Oprah. If elected, she will become the first black woman to serve as a U.S. governor.

Mikie Sherrill is a Georgetown alumna, former Navy pilot, and assistant U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey. She is running against Republican Jay Webber in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional district and is projected to win. — **Mikie Sherrill** is a Georgetown alumna, former Navy pilot, and assistant U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey. She is running against Republican Jay Webber in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional district and is projected to win.

Ilhan Omar is the first Somali-American Muslim elected to office in the Minnesota House of Representatives. She is running as a Democrat in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional district and is poised to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress. — **Ilhan Omar** is the first Somali-American Muslim elected to office in the Minnesota House of Representatives. She is running as a Democrat in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional district and is poised to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress.

Marsha Blackburn is leading in the polls to become the first female senator from Tennessee. She has been a Republican member of the House of Representatives since 2003. — **Marsha Blackburn** is leading in the polls to become the first female senator from Tennessee. She has been a Republican member of the House of Representatives since 2003.

Do not forget to register to vote by your state’s deadline and make sure you receive and return your absentee ballot if you cannot make it to the polls in person on November 6! And, join the Caravel on election night for exclusive live coverage of the results with Compass Gender editor and former-Editor-in-Chief Tamara Evdokimova.

The Youths!!!!

“If you’re part of any minority, whether that be religious, racial, gender- or sexuality-based, you are always politically conscious to ensure that your community isn’t being disempowered.”

— Varsha Menon (SFS ’21)

Natalia Campos Vargas (SFS ’19) has been politically active since her freshman year, canvassing for Missouri’s Democratic nominee for governor in 2016 and supporting Missouri’s Senatorial candidate and Hillary Clinton. She currently works at a political organization that mobilizes voters to elect progressive candidates and defends voting rights. “I absolutely think women will have an especially important role in this election,” she said. “A lot of the issues on the line in this election—health care, reproductive rights, and others—will significantly affect women in the long run. Now more than ever, women hold their power in their vote and should use it to express their interests.” Campos Vargas will be watching her home state of Missouri’s Senate race on November 6, as well as gubernatorial races in Maine, Florida, and Georgia.

Anya Howko-Johnson (SFS ’22) has followed politics since her childhood love for cult TV show The West Wing. She has been volunteering and interning for Washington state 5th Congressional district candidate Lisa Brown, who is the first real challenger to the incumbent since 2005. “Female participation is more significant this election cycle not only in terms of candidates but also in terms of volunteering and voting,” Howko-Johnson explained. “I have observed women being more outspoken in this election than in any other in my memory.” Given her personal involvement with the campaign, she will be watching out for her home district results on Tuesday night.

Varsha Menon (SFS ’21) has done phone banking and canvassing for Texas Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke and Texas 3rd Congressional district candidate Lorie Burch. A member of the Georgetown College Democrats, she has worked to help other students register to vote and request their absentee ballots this semester. When it comes to the role of gender in the 2018 elections, Menon believes that women are using gender to their advantage, saying, “I think a lot of female candidates are using their status as a female to try to encourage people to vote minorities into the House and the Senate. I know for sure that Lorie Burch is using her identity as a queer woman to help inspire Democrats in my district.” Asked about the level of political awareness and involvement at Georgetown, Menon said, “If you’re part of any minority, whether that be religious, racial, gender- or sexuality-based, you are always politically conscious to ensure that your community isn’t being disempowered.” She is most excited to watch O’Rourke’s race against Senator Ted Cruz and hopes that her campaigning efforts will pay off.

Brian O’Connor (SPA ’19), a senior at American University (AU), has campaigned for Ocasio-Cortez in the Bronx this fall. “She is one of the boldest and most articulate Democrats in the country right now,” he said. “She is a charismatic speaker, has a bold progressive agenda, and is actually connected to the people she represents.” In O’Connor’s experience, members of the campaign are cautiously optimistic about the outcome under the shadow of the 2016 elections. “I think gender has played a huge role in the wake of #MeToo and Trump’s constant attacks on women,” O’Connor reflected on the role of gender in 2018. “You see so many more Democratic women running that never would have even thought about running before.”

Rolando Cantu (SPA ’20), a junior at AU, has volunteered with Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign since early June. He now works as a campaign aide, performing various tasks from policy research to texting constituents. Speaking to the campaign’s general mood, Cantu said, “We are optimistic about our chances for the general election. The primary was our biggest challenge, which was a shock to us on June 26. Keep in mind though, Joe Crowley is still on the Working Families Party ticket, and we still have a Republican opponent for this election. We are not taking anything for granted as we continue to work as hard as we did for the primary.” When it comes to AU students’ political involvement, Cantu highlighted the amount of campus activity. “Many of the students participate in political campaigns, organize protests, form politically oriented organizations, and are active in politics in general,” he said. “I believe that this is the case because many students here are afraid of this current administration, some primarily being students of color, immigrants, and working class students.”

Succeed on Your Own Terms

On October 30, the LGBTQ+ Policy Initiative (LPI) at the McCourt School of Public Policy in partnership with GU Pride, the Lecture Fund, and Georgetown College Democrats hosted Danica Roem (D-VA-13), the first openly transgender person to serve in a U.S. state legislature. Roem discussed her experience running for office in 2017.

“You can thrive because of who you are, not despite it,” Roem told the crowd. However, to her, being transgender is not be the be-all-end-all identity. The primary focus of Roem’s 2017 campaign was on ways to improve the Virginia transportation system and reduce traffic congestion.

Roem actively pushed students to not be afraid to stand up, speak truth to power, and run for office. “You can succeed on your own terms, and you can be your authentic sense of self,” she said. “Our government [is] not the sole domain of the rich and powerful.” Having first launched her campaign while uninsured and unemployed, Roem believes that staying informed about and in touch with the issues a community faces is key to earning voters’ trust. In 2017, she received 18,000 donations between $1 and $100. Roem prides herself on only taking money from individuals and social justice organizations.

Touching on the subject of gender in her discussion, Roem said, “Our problems are man-made, which means women can fix this shit.” Ultimately, speaking to increasing threats to transgender rights made by the Trump administration, Roem encouraged students to become the leaders they want to see in the world. “Given the situation, given the fight, we will mobilize, we will organize, and we will win.”

Photography by the Georgetown University LGBTQ Resource Center

Stay tuned for live coverage of the 2018 midterm elections from the Caravel by following our social media platforms and midterm highlights on November 7 from Compass World!