Texas Women Just Do It!

Elect Her facilitator Chonya Davis Johnson discusses the state of women in politics with attendees from the University of Texas, Arlington.

Elect Her—Campus Women Win at University of Texas Arlington was an awesome experience, not only for the presenters and me, but for the students in attendance.  Among the speakers were State Representative Diane Patrick, Alumni Communication powerhouse Emily Hoad, and Student Congress President Jennifer Fox. Each of them shared their unique experience and encouraged the women in attendance to run & win.

Representing the People: State Representative Patrick opened with: “back in the day – it was not common for women to run for office.”  However, she ran with a great conviction to be of service to her community and it was aligned with her calling to make a difference. She knocked on over 1000 doors and met people where they were: the grocery store, church, and the park. She was willing to meet with the voters and educate them about her candidacy. She successfully beat an incumbent because she understood all politics are local.

The Messenger: Communication expert Emily Hoad stressed the importance on having a clear and concise message and sticking to it when you are campaigning no matter what. She shared that in her experience of running for office on campus she built a coalition and connected with student organizations that aligned with her goals and ideas. She was successful in garnering support because she stayed on message and always presented herself in a professional manner. Her campaign messaging tips were:

1.) Focus on no more than three points

2.) Repeat, repeat, repeat

3.) Deliver what you promise

The Servant Leader: UTA Student Congress President Jennifer Fox shared her experience and stressed the importance of students understanding campus election and campaign polices. The students walked away with a greater understanding of the process, she answered all their questions, and offered to work with offline to get things going for their future run.

Lastly, UT Arlington Elect Her experience was certainly educational and one of a kind for me, because I did not expect the young men in attendance. They showed a genuine interest in helping young women run for office inquired about running for elected office after college. Overall the Elect Her—Campus Women Win won the hearts of women and empowered them to Just Do It!

This post was written by Elect Her—Campus Women Win facilitator Chonya Davis Johnson