Why Not Run? Jennifer Lawless Takes Up the Challenge

Jennifer Lawless, an Associate Professor at Brown University, is proving that academia isn't all about lofty ivory towers by taking her research on women in politics to a whole new level, reality. Armed with her campaign slogan (A Wave of Change for the Ocean State) and a dedication to her Democratic platform, Lawless is running for U.S. Congress in Rhode Island for 2006. She hopes to rejuvenate the Democratic Party by focusing on the issues of education, health care, jobs, and reproductive choice. In doing so, she also hopes to serve as a role model for other women contemplating a career in politics. Part of Lawless's inspiration was her book, published this summer, on the lack of women in politics; "It Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office":http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/052167414X/qid=1133590265/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-1993908-2500961?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 proposes that women are less likely to run for office because they are not confident in their qualifications and they feel responsibility towards their family. According to her research, women feel unable to balance family life with a political campaign. In addition, they often think they are unqualified or feel that they must be overqualified to run because they are held to a higher degree of scrutiny. Trumping the Stereotypes To overcome these stereotypes, Lawless feels that more women should be involved in the process of running for office. It is important not to be deterred by a lack of fundraising money or of name recognition; just get in there. Her campaign has been a grassroots effort with youth and energy. People in Rhode Island have been supportive of it: "More than 95 percent of the comments have been positive. I can count on one hand the total number of people who have been rude to me," said Lawless. Also, women and men alike need to move past the stereotypes to the real questions the issues. The race for Lawless has been "gender neutral:" "the issues that matter are education, jobs, and healthcare," she says. "Everyone should have the opportunity to have an education. Healthcare is a basic human right. A woman is entitled to the full range of reproductive options. People really want leadership on these issues, regardless of gender." Another challenge for Lawless was not knowing what to expect in a campaign. "Imagine not being invited to a party, crashing it, and then introducing yourself to every single person in the room. That's how I felt at my first campaign party. At that point," she says, "you realize - it's all you. But, the learning curve is steep. It's sink or swim." Balancing It All How does someone balance a campaign with a full-time job or a family? Jennifer's week includes teaching in the morning, making fundraising calls and meetings in the afternoon, and speeches or other events in the evening. "I'm at it all day every day," she says, "but it's been a synergistic effort. Over one hundred students have volunteered for the campaign." Jennifer did have some tips for balancing her work and her campaign: "It's necessary to remember that you can't think of it all. Also, you should realize that everything will take much more time than you plan. Before the campaign, I was the type of person that needed to plan everything or to arrive five minutes early. But now, it's important to be flexible." Congresswoman [Insert Your Name Here] Jennifer Lawless hopes to serve as a role model for other women considering running for office. According to Lawless, the essentials of running for office are: a little bit of flexibility, a lot of determination and upbeat energy, and a whole lot of passion for the issues. "If someone can't articulate why they want to run," says Lawless, "then they shouldn't. It's a question of what makes you wake up in the morning. I'm passionate about the issues and about improving the status quo in Rhode Island. If you really want to make a change, running for political office is the best way." For more information about Jennifer Lawless's campaign, visit her website at "www.lawlessforcongress.com":http://www.lawlessforcongress.com