While the nation’s political attention has been focused on the Democratic presidential primary election, our Democratic women candidates here in California ran competitive campaigns in really difficult races AND won! However, yesterday’s primary was a bittersweet victory.

The pendulum is swinging away from the great strides we made in the early 90’s to even the playing field in the California legislature. Our dreams of equal representation for women are slowly declining. The trend seems to be that we lose two to three elected women legislators every election cycle. Despite yesterday’s victories, we could potentially lose more women legislators in November. Considering less than 28% of the California state seats are held by women, we must remain vigilant to maintain gender representation.

Congratulations to the candidates listed below for winning races that were among California’s most difficult and most important! We also congratulate all the Democratic women candidates - up and down the ticket - who ran outstanding campaigns! We appreciate all that you have done for Democrats and for women.

Lois Wolk (SD 5, Stockton, Yolo)
Loni Hancock (SD 9, Alameda, Oakland)
Hannah-Beth Jackson (SD 19, Santa Barbara)
Carol Liu (SD 21, Burbank)
Fran Pavley (SD 23, West Los Angeles, Santa Monica)
Mariko Yamada (AD 8, Yolo County)
Alyson Huber (AD 10, Sacramento, El Dorado)
Nancy Skinner (AD 14, Berkeley)
Joan Buchanan (AD 15, Oakland, East Bay)
Fran Florez (AD 30, Fresno, Kern)
Ferial Masry (AD 37, Thousand Oaks)
Bonnie Lowenthal (AD 54, Long Beach)
Diane Singer (AD 60, Orange, San Bernardino)
Norma Torres (AD 61, Pomona, Montclair)
Judy Jones (AD 73, Orange County, North San Diego)

Congratulations to the following incumbents!

Elaine Alquist (SD13, Santa Clarita)
Christine Kehoe (SD 39, San Diego)
Noreen Evans (AD 7, Napa)
Fiona Ma (AD 12, San Francisco)
Cathleen Galgiani (AD 17, Stockton)
Mary Hayashi (AD 18, Oakland)
Anna Caballero (AD 28, Salinas, Monterey County)
Julia Brownley (AD 41, Santa Monica)
Karen Bass (AD 47, Los Angeles)
Wilmer Amina Carter (AD 62, San Bernardino, Fontana)
Lori Saldana (AD 76, San Diego)
Mary Salas (AD 79, San Diego)

Thank you to all our members, donors and supporters. We successfully supported Democratic women candidates throughout California. We continue to make a difference, thanks to your continued support.

CALIFORNIA LIST believes that electing women legislators is important. The women we help elect are the women who will march into Sacramento as champions for universal health care, better education and as protectors of our natural resources. These women are mothers, wives and workers who understand the issues their fellow women face in both the home and employment arenas. This is why electing women matters and maintaining a sustainable pipeline of women moving up the ladder of elected offices is the only way to ensure enough women representatives will be seated.

CALIFORNIA LIST works to help identify strong women candidates to fill the pipeline and actively supports candidates with training, public relations and campaign finance. Our local elections feed seasoned women into the state pipeline and each election cycle we are losing an average of two women electeds. California is suffering a famine of women who can run and win.

JOIN CALIFORNIA LIST TODAY!

We need your help to increase the pipeline and reverse the decline of women electeds. Visit our website to learn more about the benefits of CALIFORNIA LIST membership or to renew your membership. Your membership can make a difference -join us today!

Bettina Duval is the founder of the CALIFORNIA LIST, a political fundraising network that helps elect Democratic women to all branches of California state government.