The headline asks how important women candidates are to the Democratic Party. Really, it’s a stupid question, and we all know the answer. And it’s not just women candidates: Women, in general, are the core of the Democratic Party, as Republicans double down on being the party of toxic masculinity. (Or at least, pretending to be “masculine.” We all know they’re just scared children.)

In 2020 alone, women broke records in money donated, candidates fielded, and races won. 

Between 2016 and 2020, the percentage of women candidates in gubernatorial and state legislative races saw a jump, from 25 percent to 32 percent.
At least 142 women will hold seats in the next Congress, an all-time high.
In 2020 races for the U.S. House and Senate, women candidates outraised men on average, while also nearly closing the gap in state-level contests.
In 2020 races, women accounted for 33 percent of donations to congressional candidates and 31 percent of donations to state-level candidates, both records.

Today on The Brief, we’ll be talking to Emily Cain, executive director of Emily’s List—the nation’s premier organization focused on recruiting and supporting women candidates. Longtime Daily Kos readers might remember Cain, as she was a Daily Kos-backed candidate for Maine’s 2nd congressional district in 2014 and 2016—the swingy rural Maine district that Democrats currently hold, but was won by Donald Trump in both his presidential races. We’ll talk to Cain about the shape of her organization’s 2022 recruitment efforts, our chances to hold Congress, the importance of women when it comes to winning, and the double standards that women candidates and elected officials (like Vice President Kamala Harris) face.

You can watch the show live, Tuesdays at 1:30 PM PT/4:30 PM ET, but I realize that’s not always the most convenient. So the podcast is a great alternative. It goes live Wednesday mornings at all the usual places, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. A full list of places to download the show is available here.

YouTube Video