50-50 in 2020 encourages local women to run for elected office

KEOKUK – Less than half of lawmakers in the Iowa Legislature are women, a statistic a statewide non-profit organization is working to change in 2020.

Melissa Gesing, executive director of 50-50 in 2020, hosted a NUDGE (No Use Delaying Gender Equity) Party Tuesday evening to encourage local women to run for elected office. Based in Des Moines, Gesing and her organization are hosting a series of NUDGE parties across the state to gear up for the November 2020 election cycle, where they hope to check off their final goal of equal representation in the Iowa House and Senate.

“We understand that voters are going to vote on issues first and not gender, and that’s OK,” said Gesing, at Southeastern Community College in Keokuk. “In fact, that’s the way it should be. But we need more women throwing their hat into the ring.”

Founded in 2010 by former state Sens. Jean Lloyd-Jones, D-Iowa City, and Maggie Tinsman, R-Davenport, 50-50 in 2020 wants to help elect women to the Iowa Legislature and beyond. Now that the organization has achieved its goal of seeing Iowa elect a female governor (Kim Reynolds), a woman to the U.S. Senate (Joni Ernst) and two women to the U.S. House (Abby Finkenauer and Cindy Axne), they now want at least 50 women in the 100-member House and 25 females in the 50-member Senate.

Read more: https://www.thehawkeye.com/news/20190411/50-50-in-2020-encourages-local-women-to-run-for-elected-office