(click on graphic for printable version)
State chapter of national organization touts Vicki Veenker as ‘wholly’ qualified and the best choice for the open Assembly seat.
San Jose, CA, May 20, 2016: The National Women’s Political Caucus of California (NWPC-CA) denounces attack mailer against endorsed candidate, Vicki Veenker, as sexist, baseless, and offensive. Yesterday, NWPC-CA members living in California Assembly District 24 received a mailer from the Californians Allied for Patient Protection Independent Expenditure committee. The mailer claims that longtime advocate, attorney, and leader Vicki Veenker is not qualified because she hasn’t “learned the ropes”, has “never been seen at council meetings”, and “has no background in government”, even going as far as implying that her candidacy resembles that of the presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump.
State chapter of national organization touts Vicki Veenker as ‘wholly’ qualified and the best choice for the open Assembly seat.
San Jose, CA, May 20, 2016: The National Women’s Political Caucus of California (NWPC-CA) denounces attack mailer against endorsed candidate, Vicki Veenker, as sexist, baseless, and offensive. Yesterday, NWPC-CA members living in California Assembly District 24 received a mailer from the Californians Allied for Patient Protection Independent Expenditure committee. The mailer claims that longtime advocate, attorney, and leader Vicki Veenker is not qualified because she hasn’t “learned the ropes”, has “never been seen at council meetings”, and “has no background in government”, even going as far as implying that her candidacy resembles that of the presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump.
“This sends a message to women in Silicon Valley’s birthplace that they’re only qualified if they ‘get in line,’” says NWPC-CA President Sherri Loveland. “We know Ms. Veenker to be extremely qualified and take offense that this committee thinks it’s cute or tongue-in-cheek to follow up their criticism on not being part of the establishment by saying ‘sounds like someone we know running for President, doesn’t it.’”
President of NWPC’s local chapter, NWPC Silicon Valley, Angelica Ramos takes it further, “This is the kind of message we will fight back against. This implies to women and girls on the Peninsula region of Silicon Valley that despite all the hard work they do behind the scenes, like Vicki, they are unqualified for advancement as well. This is the kind of institutional sexism that discourages other qualified women from running for office, and it shows. Just take a look at the gender makeup of our Legislature.”
Women currently make up just one-fourth of the state Legislature in California, barely above the national average and much lower than in Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona. That's shameful in a state like California – once known for its place in history for being the first state to elect two female U.S. Senators, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, in the same year.
The National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) is a multicultural, intergenerational, and multi-issue grassroots national organization dedicated to increasing women’s participation regardless of party preference in the political process and creating a true women’s political power base to achieve equality for all women. NWPC recruits, trains and supports pro-choice women candidates for elected and appointed offices at all levels of government regardless of party affiliation. In addition to financial donations, the Caucus offers campaign training for candidates and campaign managers, as well as technical assistance and advice.
###