GEORGIA'S WIN LIST E-Newsletter

August 2008

…Get Ready to Help WIN List Women Win!

Across the country, Democrats are showing up to participate in campaigns. The presidential campaign is energizing voters, and women are voting in record numbers. However, we need a dramatic change of direction here in Georgia, as well. We need the fresh ideas and perspective women bring to elected office. Georgia’s WIN List endorsed candidates bring that distinctive perspective to the political process and will stand up for our shared values.

With the state primaries behind us, our focus must turn to the general election, which is just 9 weeks away. We know the Republicans are working hard to win and hold seats in the Georgia Legislature. It is easy to gloss over these legislative races because of the intense media attention focused national politics. We hope you will become educated about the Democratic women running for office in Georgia and stand behind them. Electing women matters! Get to know the WIN List women who won their primary elections and encourage them as they enter the final stretch toward the November general election.

Given the strength of the WIN List-endorsed candidates and the dismal record of Republicans on the issues about which women are concerned, we are set to have the chance to celebrate many victories in November.

GEORGIA PRIMARY RUNOFF ELECTION NEWS

…Georgia’s WIN List Candidates Win Tough Races

Text Box: The excitement of presidential politics continues, but we also need to turn our attention to matters at home and Georgia’s upcoming elections. While the nation’s political attention has been focused on the Democratic presidential primary (and now the National Convention in Denver), our Democratic women candidates here in Georgia ran competitive campaigns in difficult primary races in July and WON! And WIN List-endorsed candidate, Dee Dawkins-Haigler won a tough primary runoff election on August 5th.

Eight of the 12 WIN List women who had opposition in the primary won their races. We congratulate Senate winners Freddie Powell Sims (SD 12), Valencia Seay (SD 34), Nan Orrock (SD 36), Horacena Tate (SD 38), and Gloria Butler (SD 55). Incumbent Gail Davenport lost her tough race for Senate District 44. House winners were Margaret Kaiser (HD 59) Pam Stephenson (HD 92), and Dee Dawkins-Haigler (HD 93). Newcomers Edith Ladipo, LeWanna Heard, and Rita Robinzine lost their bids for House Districts 61, 65, and 91, respectively. They ran good campaigns, and we expect to see great things from them in the future.

Four of our endorsed women candidates still have opposition in the upcoming general election in November. Help us help them WIN by donating today!

The following Georgia’s WIN List endorsed candidates still have opposition and will be on the general election ballot in November:

OFFICE SOUGHT NAME

State House

HD 38 Pat Dooley

HD 39 Alisha Thomas Morgan (Incumbent)

HD 85 Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (Incumbent)

HD 177 “Sgt. Jaki” Johnson

Georgia’s WIN List will be working very hard to make sure these women win their seats in November’s general election. Go to http://www.georgiawinlist.com/candidates.html to read more about these outstanding candidates and find links to their campaign Web sites.

We cannot do it without you! A donation of $250, $100, or even $50 will go a long way toward ensuring that more women serve Georgians under the Gold Dome.

Other News from Georgia’s WIN List

Young Professionals Event a Huge Success!

Text Box: On August 12, 2008, WIN List held its first ever event geared specifically toward young professionals. If you missed the event at Trois in midtown Atlanta, you missed a great opportunity to network with legislators, other elected officials, and other young professionals at a different kind of political event. More than 100 women and men gathered to share their concerns and show their support for WIN List’s progressive agenda.

There were many new faces—as well as old friends--in the crowd at this gathering billed as “less talk and more fun.” Supporters heard Sen. Nan Orrock speak about the importance of young people’s participation in politics. Orrock’s public service as an elected official spans two decades. She expressed optimism that the number of young political activists is growing. There was great folk and soul acoustic music, too, from literate activist singer/songwriter Doria Roberts, one of Atlanta’s brightest artists.

Most in the crowd had never attended a WIN List event before. We look forward to seeing those faces at future events!

WIN List-Endorsed Candidates Get Unique Training Opportunity

Dr. Drew Westen, a professor of psychology at Emory University, author of The Political Brain, frequent contributor to the Huffington Post, and guest on NPR and CNN, spoke to WIN List candidates recently. He is the founder of Westen Strategies, LLC, a political and corporate consulting firm. He has advised a range of candidates and organizations, from presidential and congressional campaigns to major progressive organizations, to Fortune 500 companies.

Dr. Westen’s book describes how the brain works in decision-making where it concerns political choices. He spoke to the group of candidates and the women who want to help them win, regarding ways progressive and Democratic campaigns can make the most effective appeals to those brains. One candidate for the Georgia House who attended said later, “The training with Dr. Drew Westen was invaluable. The information he has developed and is sharing is eye opening and truly hopeful. I am a believer.”

Westen worked closely with the Georgia Democratic party on the wording of the party platform, and thus his extensive knowledge of Georgia specific polling data on many crucial issues made his training session invaluable to WIN candidates. Some candidates had carefully read his book, as evidenced by the post-it notes on specific pages and the thoughtful questions they asked. “WIN List is happy to provide unique training opportunities to our candidates,” said Chair Stacey Evans. “We appreciate the generosity of our donors who allow us to make thoughtful decisions about how to help our candidates WIN.”

Cathy Cox Inaugurated President of Young Harris College

Text Box: President Cathy Cox WIN List sends its congratulations and best wishes to Cathy Cox, former Georgia secretary of state, as she takes over as the 21st president of Young Harris College, a private, liberal arts college in north Georgia. President Cox, who is one of WIN List’s earliest supporters and a former WIN List-endorsed candidate herself, served two terms as Secretary of State. She also served as the Carl E. Sanders Political Leadership Scholar at the University of Georgia School of Law, and during spring semester 2007, she taught courses in Election Law & Politics to upper level law students.

In her inaugural address on July 26, which was attended by many notables from the academic and cleric communities, Cox thanked her family, friends, and colleagues for coming to the campus. She also thanked her “friends who helped me through a number of political campaigns around the state.” We know whom she meant by that! As she thanked those who were responsible for bringing her to Young Harris, she remarked, “I thank you for your willingness to take a chance on me—a non-traditional candidate, a lawyer rather than a minister, a politician, and even a Democrat!”

LOOKING AHEAD

WHAT’S ON THE WIN LIST CALENDAR?

Watch your e-mail for the details of our Fall event to honor and support our 2008 Endorsed Candidates.

November 4

General Election

Quotes of the month

“Thanks so much for your very generous donation to my re-election campaign. It is greatly appreciated. WIN List’s support—financially and emotionally—is what helps keep me going.”

Stephanie Stuckey Benfield

State Representative House District 85

“I cannot adequately respond to what your enthusiastic support means to me. It is good to know that we all understand how critically important this election cycle is to so many.”

Pat Dooley

Democratic Candidate, Georgia House District 38