Guest Post by Lynette Nelson
The 2024 presidential election cycle, with its fast-moving political landscape, guarantees many surprises over the coming months. But will any of those surprises include any historic firsts for women, or will they just shock and amaze us?
Women have been making history with our slow and deliberate march toward equal representation in American politics for over 150 years, dating back from the founding of the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869 to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
Each milestone was hard-fought despite the irony that the very qualities that make women valuable as candidates are precisely the qualities required for public service. General Maura Healey explained, “The role of government is to serve its people, which is precisely what women do when we speak up for those who desperately need our representation.”
Sixteen years ago, Hillary Clinton joined that long march by becoming the first woman to win a major party’s presidential nomination. Her groundbreaking 2016 campaign cracked what she famously called “the highest, hardest glass ceiling.”
Yet despite Clinton’s achievement, the nation is still waiting to elect its first female president. This is embarrassing for a country that sees itself as a world leader. Iceland passed that milestone 44 years ago. According to the World Population Review, there are currently 29 women heading their nations. Instead of leading, the United States is desperately trying to catch up.
While it appears the top job is still not up for grabs to a woman in the 2024 election cycle, there is the prospect of more potential historic firsts. Four of the eleven states electing governors this year have never had a woman in the position, and all of them have female candidates. Current Lt. Governors Jamie Reitenour of Indiana, and Tammy Miller of North Dakota, and Crystal Quade, current Missouri House Minority Leader, are all strong candidates with the chance to make history in an office that is often a pathway to the presidency.
Nikki Haley’s long-shot bid for her party’s nomination may have done nothing to change the overall outcome if Donald Trump remains the party’s nominee. But Haley’s presence matters a great deal. Her candidacy shifts expectations about who can and should be considered a credible presidential contender, especially for the GOP with relatively little exposure to women seeking the highest office.
Kamala Harris made history by becoming the first female Vice President, just one step away from becoming commander-in-chief. This year, we could see the historical first of both major parties having a woman on the ticket as Vice President.
The 11 women running for governor, 50 women running for the Senate, and 375 women running for the U.S. House are doing a great deal to push political boundaries. Nikki Haley’s presence in the Republican field and Kamala Harris holding the Vice President’s office elevate the possibility of a woman president for all Americans to imagine.
When will we finally inaugurate a woman as president? If Haley, Harris, and others keep chipping away at the remaining doubts and barriers, that long-awaited day may arrive sooner than we think.