*** Fiona Ma has been endorsed for State Treasurer by the CDP ***
It’s time to elect more women to office.
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In June, we celebrated 100 years of women elected to the California Legislature hosted by the Women in California Politics Foundation.
I am proud to be the first Asian American woman who served as Assembly Speaker pro Tempore in California during my tenure in the state legislature from 2006 to 2012 representing San Francisco, Daly City, Broadmoor, and Colma.
The first four women to serve in the California Legislature were elected in 1918 — two years before the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote was approved. Over the next 50 years, only ten other women served in the Assembly.
In total, as of today (1850-2018), we have had only 156 women elected in the California Legislature compared to 4,500 men (I am #112).
Mentoring more women to run for office and get elected is key to having women’s voices heard and represented in the legislative process. We can do it!
Andrea Dew Steele, the President and founder of Emerge America and co-founder of Emerge California, came up with the concept of Emerge in my office! Andrea is an incredible leader whose work to elect women continues to inspire me. Since Emerge’s founding in 2005, we have expanded into 25 states and trained over 4,000 women. 50% of Emerge alumnae run for or hold office, and 68% of those that have run have won.
Notable Emerge California alumnae include incoming San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, and SF Supervisor and Board Chair Malia Cohen. To learn more about becoming involved, you can read about Emerge California here.
In the coming weeks, I will continue to promote women running for office and our fight against the Trump administration’s policies that seek to rescind women’s rights for reproductive healthcare, access to birth control, equality in the workplace, and immigrants’ rights.
In solidarity,
Fiona Ma
