Women Vets Take Aim at a New Target: Public Office

[DonViejo]

POLITICS MAY 29 2017, 10:12 AM ET

by ANNA BRAND

Mikie Sherrill has never run for office. But after piloting Navy rescue missions to places like the Persian Gulf, Italy and Bahrain, where the heat and humidity rattle the helicopter engine and the only thing you can count on is your calculation that you've brought along enough fuel to save lives — she feels up to the challenge.

"You're always on the edge of your seat," Sherrill said of her nearly 10 years serving as one of the military's few female pilots. "I think my experience gives voters a certain sense of comfort that I can do the job."

Fast-forward about 15 years and Sherrill — whose resumé now includes a law degree and a former job as a federal prosecutor — says she's ready for her next mission: unseating a member of Congress of more than 22 years in her state of New Jersey.

Sherrill, who is running in the Democratic primary later this year with the goal of taking Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen's seat in the state's 11th Congressional District, is part of a new wave of women veterans running for office at the local, state and federal levels, each one eager to bring a unique perspective to the table.

Women veterans are hugely underrepresented in office. About 3 percent of the veterans serving in state legislatures are women, according to a study by the American Enterprise Institute, although women make up about 10 percent of the U.S. veteran population. There are 102 veterans in Congress, but the number of women is just four.

Emily's List, an organization that helps Democratic women run for public office, has noticed an early trend in female veterans' signing up to run. Emerge America, a training program for Democratic women who want to run for office, has seen women of more diverse backgrounds showing interest, including veterans. The Women's Programs at the Veterans Campaign, a nonpartisan group focused on getting women veterans into office, has seen a spike ahead of the midterm elections.

more
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/women-vets-take-aim-new-target-public-office-n765151

[Wounded Bear]

1. Sounds like she could be a great candidate...

[bettyellen]

2. Wow cool! I know Frelinghuysen's got deep pockets and a lot of family friends. Hope he goes down.