Recently, Republican talk show host Meghan McCain was ridiculed in the New York Times for disrupting her colleagues’ liberal tirades with her conservative counterpoints on The View.
Arizona Senator Martha McSally, the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat, was described as “unbecoming” and a “punk” for dismissive remarks she made to a CNN reporter’s persistent questioning.
Maine Senator Susan Collins was attacked by the left for her vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
Democrats and liberal cable news talking heads fundamentally oppose the notion of conservative women who have values different from their own, women who are pro-life, support the Second Amendment, or champion something other than “Women’s Issues.”
Unfortunately, the last election did nothing but reinforce this narrative. In 2018, 102 women were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives — a record. Only 13 of those women were Republican.
Democrats are actively working to make conservative women extinct, and as one of the few GOP women left in the House Republican conference, I am taking it personally. After suffering a 41-seat loss last cycle, I chose to step up and serve as the recruitment chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington, D.C. where I’ve committed to remaking our Party in a way more reflective of our diverse country and values.
Now, more than ever before, Republican women are stepping up and saying, “I’m in.”
That plan started with changing the way our Party recruited candidates. With help from my fellow Members of Congress serving as Recruitment Captains, we went out looking for candidates who uniquely fit their district, reflect the diversity of America, and can win competitive races. We didn’t stop because one person announced they were running. We kept looking for the best candidates in these districts to win in November. Our Recruitment Captains prioritized creating a Republican conference that better reflects our diverse national Republican Party.
The sacrifices of running for Congress are real. We are asking Americans to leave their families, communities, and careers to spend hours upon hours fundraising, getting out their message, and driving all over their district meeting voters.
The sacrifices vary depending on the woman and her priorities, but once these women realized the positive impact they could make in their communities and country by serving in Congress, the results have been amazing
With support from Chairman Tom Emmer and others like Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, whose leadership PAC, Elevate-PAC, is designed to help elect Republican women, we are putting ourselves in a position to elect more Republican women to the House of Representatives. A record 200 women have filed to run for the House this cycle which demolishes the previous record.
Now, more than ever before, Republican women are stepping up and saying, “I’m in.”
As a Party we should celebrate the diversity of our recruited candidates but we must also support their campaigns to get these amazing candidates across the finish line on Election Day.
Among them are standout candidates like Michelle Fischbach, the first woman to serve as president of the Minnesota Senate; Nancy Mace of South Carolina, the first woman to graduate from The Citadel’s Corps of Cadets; Jessica Taylor of Alabama, a former college athlete who raised her son during the day while earning her law degree at night; and Michelle Steel and Young Kim, both Korean-Americans from California who are matching their Democrat counterparts in fundraising. (Steel and Kim also represent 2 of the 146 people of color who are running as Republicans for the House of Representatives.)
All of these women are tenacious and fearless and despite Democrats’ best efforts to dissuade women from even thinking about voting Republican, there are a record number of women who are choosing to run with an “R” beside their name. As a Party we should celebrate the diversity of our recruited candidates but we must also support their campaigns to get these amazing candidates across the finish line on Election Day.
These dynamic leaders with records of success in their communities are a direct threat to the Democrats’ narrative and momentum from their 2018 victories. This cycle is just the beginning, and we won’t be backing down.
Susan Brooks represents the 5th District of Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives. She serves as the Recruitment Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee.