Are you a woman who has considered running for office?
Do you wonder what it would take to succeed?
Story by: L Burghardt
Claudia Tenney may be someone to seek advice from. She has experienced the ups, downs, redistricting, and the anxiety of uncertainty. Even the ugly head of retaliation touched her when Nancy Pelosi refused to let her son, a Naval Academy graduate, actively serving our country, attend her swearing in after a contentious 2020 Congressional win.
In spite of it all, Claudia Tenney has persevered and friends, colleagues and constituents consider her a relentless fighter (for her constituents) and is not afraid to buck the status quo. The following is how it all came about and why we need more Claudias.
Claudia’s public service began in 2002 when NY State Assemblyman David R. Townsend Jr. won re-election and asked Tenney to serve as his Chief of Staff and legal counsel. She served in this position part-time while maintaining her place at her family-owned newspaper and operating her personal law practice. She served in that position until 2009.
What qualities come to mind in order for a public servant to overcome difficulties? Mental strength? Perseverance? Commitment to the people? A strong team surrounding her? Certainly there is a plethora of suggestions to add.
If you take a look at the bigger picture, consider these statistics:
There are 10 women serving as the speakers of state houses. Only 1 is a Republican
There are 15 women serving as the Presidents or Presidents Pro Tem of State Senates. Only 4 are Republican.
A quick look at percentages of women serving in state Legislatures reveal that the highest percentages occur in typically blue states, while the lowest percentages are recorded for typically red states.
Currently, in NY, there are 63 Senate seats, 20 are held by women and only 3 are Republican.
Currently, in NY, there are 150 Assembly seats, 53 are held by women and only 3 are Republican.
There is a clear lack of women successfully participating in the New York electoral process.
Maybe further investigation is warranted regarding failed campaigns, specifically regarding perceived roadblocks. Maybe triumphant women should share the experiences from their political voyages. Claudia Tenney is a just might be a person to start with.
Here is a synopsis of
her subsequent political races:
2010 NY Assembly 101st district – won
2012 NY Assembly 101st district – won
2014 NY R Primary US 22nd district – lost
2014 NY Assembly 101st district – won
2016 NY R Primary US 22nd district – won
2016 NY US 22nd district – won
2018 NY US 22nd district – lost
2020 NY US 22nd district – won
2022 NY US 24th district – won
2024 NY US 24th district – won