It’s Roys’ Party, And She’ll Run If She Wants To
A law degree from a consistently ranked Top 35 law school, four years of leadership in a division of a nationally renowned non-profit organization and three years serving in public office—many would call that an impressive resume, but Wisconsin State Assemblyman Mark Pocan apparently would not.
Kelda Roys was graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison Law School, was president of Wisconsin NARAL Pro-Choice, and now serves in the Wisconsin State Assembly, yet Pocan, Roys’ primary opponent for Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin’s open Congressional seat, has stated that Roys lacks experience, specifically saying, “you have to crawl before you walk and walk before you run.”
RH Reality Check hit the nail on the head by pointing out in their recent article that women are more likely than men to be dissuaded from seeking higher office by statements like “you must wait your turn” or “pay your dues.” There is absolutely no need for experienced and successful women to be spurned by a hierarchy of male dominancy and the “good ole boy” seniority system.
Roys is breaking out of the “wait in line” system and that’s ok. She says she is proud of her record and is joining the good company of others who have successfully run for Congress, men and women who are her age and who have comparable levels of experience. By having the courage to run for higher office (not to mention the requisite experience), she is encouraging qualified women everywhere to ignore the limitations of seniority and gender and to jump into the political arena.
Eliminating the unfair scrutiny of even highly qualified women candidates is a key step to encouraging more women to run for office. Props to RH Reality Check for taking a stand against this sexist double standard.
Published by Kate McCarthy on 07/17/2012