IT’S NOT HOW FAST YOU RUN,
BUT HOW MUCH YOU DON’T SLOW DOWN…

By Bettina Duval, Founder, The CALIFORNIA LIST

Dedication. Perseverance. Discipline. Resolve. These are characteristics of a marathon runner. One can’t help but draw a comparison to being a candidate running in the current California primary election.

Watching the Boston Marathon on Monday, I was once again reminded of the strides women have made. Only four decades ago, women were prohibited from competing in the Boston Marathon and were forced to resort to covert tactics. In the 1960s, Roberta Gibb and Katherine Switzer boldly broke gender boundaries by entering the race unofficially and unidentified as women. Women were finally allowed to run the Boston marathon in 1971.

The current California primary season began November 2, 2004, a very long 18 months ago with 2 months still to go—26.2 miles of fundraising, networking, shaking hands and delivering speeches. From the initial decision to run for office, the journey ahead is both unfamiliar and overwhelming. The political race is not an easy one, and for women it is that much more of a challenge. But make no mistake about it; our candidates have proven themselves ready and capable.

Remember, in California it is essential for our women candidates to win their elections. In California, we face a loss of two-thirds of our elected women; if our candidates don’t win, there will be minimal female representation in Sacramento.

It is said that running a marathon is not about how fast you run, but how much you don’t slow down, especially when runners reach the 20-mile mark. Energy wanes and exhaustion sets in. Only six miles left, a runner must dig deep within herself to tap her inner strength. As we approach the California primaries in June, the women candidates are in the final stretch. It has been a long and taxing year-and-a-half, but they are approaching the finish line and they cannot slow down. And it is our responsibility to remain stalwart supporters of their respective campaigns.

Thus far our CALIFORNIA LIST members have shown tremendous support. Your dollars have provided the fuel and nourishment for our endorsed candidates to keep going—but we can’t stop now! We must continue to be vocal about their upcoming primary campaigns. We must continue to help fund their races when they need the extra push. We must continue to be their cheering section so they can triumphantly cross the finish line—a victory not only for them, but for all democratic pro-choice women in California.

On Monday, hundreds of women competed AND finished all 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon. With your continued support, so will The CALIFORNIA LIST endorsed candidates. By contributing to their election races and by attending our events, you help make it possible for The CALIFORNIA LIST endorsed candidates to lead the way across the finish line.

Visit our website www.californialist.org to learn more about The CALIFORNIA LIST endorsed candidates. You can also donate directly to their campaigns from our website.

EVENT UPDATE:

The CALIFORNIA LIST is thrilled to be working with the WOMEN’S HIGH TECH COALITION in organizing a reception on Thursday, May 11 with the women business leaders in Silicon Valley and California’s elected women. Thank you, Leslee Guardino, of the WHTC for arranging this event! If you are a businesswoman in Silicon Valley and would like to learn more about The Women’s High Tech Coalition and this event, please visit: http://www.womenshightech.org/events_new.asp

EVENING RECEPTION IN PIEDMONT

THIRD ANNUAL SAN DIEGO WOMEN VOTE LUNCHEON
HONORING HON. LYNN SCHENK

If you would like to host an event for The CALIFORNIA LIST, please let us know! Small lunches, teas or receptions attended by your friends, neighbors and colleagues are a simple, yet effective way that each of us can protect women’s rights and representation in California. Help us make a difference in your community!

ONWARD WE MARCH

The California Suffrage Parade Coalition is looking for 1,000 women to help them recreate a parade similar to those that helped the suffragettes gain support for the 19th amendment. At 9:30 am on August 26, 2006, participants will assemble in Sacramento at Southside Park (8th & T Sts.) and march to the Capitol Steps where activists, advocates and dignitaries will greet them. The Coalition’s mission is twofold: to celebrate Women’s Equality Day on a spectacular event at the State Capitol and to stimulate non-voting women to recognize the debt owed to the valiant women who secured the vote for us all. The march will be recreated as nearly as possible including period costumes, banners and the white horse that Inez Milholland rode as a mounted herald. Many national and statewide Women’s groups will be in attendance. If you would like to get involved in this celebration, please contact CALIFORNIA LIST member Carol Norberg at cnorberg@2xtreme.net.

CONGRATULATIONS TO RITA JEPTOO

The CALIFORNIA LIST congratulates Rita Jeptoo of Kenya, who not only ran in her first U.S. marathon in Boston on Monday, but also won it! Her time was 2:23:38 and she is being awarded $100,000 in prize money!