RUN FOR OFFICE

Now more than ever, we need our best advocates in elected office. Women Winning helps pro-choice women run for office and win — up and down the ballot!

Through our robust formal training series, one-on-one candidate coaching, and boots-on-the-ground support, Women Winning provides the tools needed for pro-choice women to run strong campaigns and win elections! To break down barriers that have kept women and underrepresented voices out of the political process, Women Winning’s programming and services are free-of-charge for all pro-choice women in Minnesota.

Formal Training
Women Winning’s Candidate & Campaign Development Training Series provides critical tools for pro-choice women candidates, campaign staff, and the next generation of political leaders across Minnesota. Our trainings help candidates and their teams build needed skills and offer strategic resources to successfully campaign for office — at each stage of a campaign. Topics covered can include: Getting Started: Announcing your candidacy; Campaign Finance and Fundraising; Communications; Team Structure and Data Management; Voter Contact: Field and Organizing; Constituent Outreach and Voter Education.

Women Winning also invests in the next generation of political strategists, volunteers, and candidates through our Political Leaders of Tomorrow (PLOT) Training Program. PLOT serves as an entry point for energized, pro-choice Minnesotans to gain valuable training and development, as well as hands-on campaign experience.

One-on-one Coaching
Through one-on-one coaching, tailored to the specific circumstances and dynamics of a given race, Women Winning’s expert Political Directors offer strategic advice and mentorship to pro-choice women running for all levels of office. From building campaign plans and reviewing budgets, to creating actionable checklists and navigating shifting political landscapes, Women Winning is with a candidate on every step on the campaign trail.

Endorsement Program
Women Winning’s strategic endorsement program focuses on competitive races for pro-choice women candidates with the goal of electing a truly representative government, protecting and advancing choice, and creating a more equitable, just Minnesota. Women Winning is often a candidate’s first endorsement, acting as a powerful validator and ushering in additional support. Women Winning’s endorsement can also include financial resources, grassroots support, and strategic campaign promotion. For more information, please visit Women Winning’s endorsement page.

Friday, September 24, 2021

8:30am – 12:00pm

Online Training

This training is for first time candidates and candidates that are looking for refresher on how to launch a campaign, organize their network, and build the early infrastructure needed to run a winning campaign. We encourage all pro-choice women considering running for office in 2022 and beyond to sign-up!

TRAIN TO WIN

COACHING

ENDORSEMENT

Ready to run?

If you are a pro-choice woman running for office or considering the next step on your political journey, we want to support you. Email info@womenwinning.org to learn more about upcoming trainings, available resources, and to connect with a member of our political team!

Jen Schultz

U.S. House of Representatives, Congressional District 8

Jen Schultz has served in the Minnesota State Legislature for eight years. She Chairs the Human Services Finance Committee and serves on Taxes, Ways & Means, Health Finance, Redistricting, and Tax Expenditures. She also serves as a Great Lakes Commissioner. She has championed affordable health care, fair taxation, and the protection of vulnerable adults. She is a health care economist and professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Visit Jennifer Schultz's website here.

Erika Bailey-Johnson

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 2B

Erika is currently in her fourteenth year as the first Sustainability Director at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota. She was also appointed the Coordinator of the People and the Environment academic program in 2016 and teaches one class per semester. She works in the Ganawendakamigaawigamig (Office of Earth-Caretaking or Sustainability Office). She completed her BA in Biology from the University of Minnesota, Morris in 1998 and her Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from BSU in 2006. Her background is in science teaching, and Erika and her husband taught for two years in Mexico and three years in Kuwait before returning home to Northern Minnesota. In 2014, Erika was named one of the top 40 under 40 business professionals in the region by Prairie Business Magazine, and in 2015 as one of the top 40 under 40 professionals in the Midwest working to accelerate America’s transition to a clean energy economy by Midwest Energy News. She speaks at regional and national conferences on BSU’s unique sustainability model which includes a wellness component and an emphasis on integrating Indigenous voices. She served on Governor Dayton’s Committee on Pollinator Protection from 2016 to 2018. Erika is currently on the board for Happy Dancing Turtle in Pine River and the alumni board for the University of Minnesota, Morris. She is a founding member of the City of Bemidji Sustainability Committee, and for the past three years has been the Director of the Niizhoo-gwayakochigewin project to integrate an Indigenous lens into campus sustainability work and academic programs and the Co-PI of Endazhi-manidoowaadak to work on race relations in her community. Her first book project was recently published and is a bilingual Ojibwe/English children’s book to connect children to the Ojibwe language and Mother Earth. Erika is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe.

Caitlin Cahill

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 37A

Caitlin Cahill is a dedicated community leader, whose public service spans more than a decade. Caitlin is currently serving her second term as a city council member in Maple Plain, and previously served nine years on the Hennepin County library board. After working in Minnesota public schools as an instructional technology specialist, Caitlin founded her small business developing custom technology solutions for businesses and schools. Caitlin values the collaborative and non-partisan nature of municipal government, and will bring this solution-focused approach to the legislature.

Visit Caitlin Cahill's website here.

Brion Curran

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 36B

Brion resides in Vadnais Heights, MN with her wife and pets. She is service-minded and desires to make real, impactful changes in the community. Brion has spent the last 20 years in the nonprofit health and human services industry. She continually advocates for people with disabilities and disability service providers. With education and experience in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Brion is passionate about reimagining ways to safely serve the community while building trust. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Brion will champion inclusivity and equity in legislation. Brion is a strong believer in each individual’s right to make choices about their own body and fully supports access to safe reproductive and gender inclusive resources. She is dedicated to being a voice for society’s marginalized and most vulnerable residents.

Visit Brion Curran's website here.

Patricia Driscoll

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 41A

Pat (Patricia) Driscoll was grew up in St. Paul, MN. She is married to Patrick Driscoll and they have 3 grown daughters, three granddaughters and one grandson. Pat earned her BS degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She earned her MS and Education Specialist degrees from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Pat was a special education teacher for 21 years and a school administrator for 18 years. She is currently serving her second term on the South Washington County School Board.

Visit Patricia Driscoll's website here.

Alicia Kozlowski

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 8B

Alicia Kozlowski is running to represent District 8B in the Minnesota House of Representatives, the community Alicia was born and raised in by a single-mother and grandmother. Alicia is a first-generation college graduate who then earned an MBA and immediately went to work building, creating, and amplifying community.

As a proud descendant of an Indigenous-Ojibwe mother and Mexican father, Alicia believes we are all better when we show up in the fullness of who we are, with hearts forward and head high.

As an endurance runner, former business developer, grassroots organizer, and current Community Relations Officer with the City of Duluth, Alicia has the experience, stamina and vision to be effective for Duluth as someone who is already leading in alignment with community to improve health and well-being, rebuilding generational wealth, advancing an inclusive economy, and cultivating the community we all deserve.

Visit Alicia Kozlowski's website here.

Susie Strom

Minnesota House of Representatives, District 36A

Susie Strom is a proud mother, attorney, U.S. Army veteran, and a Korean-American adoptee. She grew up in Coon Rapids, Minnesota and now lives in North Oaks, Minnesota. She is running for MN State House of Representatives in 36A. She is committed to serving the communities of district 36A with compassion and thoughtfulness.

Visit Susie Strom's website here.

Alicia Donahue

Minnesota Senate, District 54

Alicia Donahue is a wife, stepmom, clinical social worker, community organizer and social justice advocate. Alicia has spent her career working with individuals from all walks of life, many of whom are experiencing their hardest moments. Alicia was the co-founder of Women’s March Minnesota and became inspired at the march 4 years ago seeing over 100,000 Minnesotans standing together against policies that tried to divide us. She is running for office because she wants to represent the people in her community and amplify the voices of those to who have been marginalized and often go unheard. She will use nearly two decades of education, knowledge and experience in child protection, mental health, chemical dependency, and the criminal justice system, to improve the safety nets intended to support those in need; and in doing so help create a stronger Minnesota.

Farhio Khalif

Minnesota Senate, District 37

Farhio was born in Somali but fled to Italy at a young age to avoid the violence and the constraints that prevented the advancement of an independent minded young woman. The opportunities offered by the United States brought her to this country in the 1990s and to Minnesota in 2010. For the last 7 years she has been an actively engaged member of the community of Maple Grove.

Since moving to Minnesota, Farhio has been involved in addressing the myriad issues facing women and People of Color in the Twin Cities. She founded Voice of East African Women (VEAW) and established a shelter to address the urgent needs among East African and Muslim women who are victims of domestic and/or sexual violence or homelessness. She served as the President of the St. Paul Branch of the NAACP and is the vice chair of the Unity Community Mediation Team that is addressing police reform and community violence. She is the Vice President of MICAH – the Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing and has been a voice for educational equity as a member of both the Minneapolis and Osseo School Districts’ Parent Advisory Committees. She has been actively involved in state legislative issues around health, education, housing, violence prevention, and community development and has gained a reputation as a tireless advocate, bridge builder, and trusted collaborator with groups working on those issues.

Farhio is running for the Senate in District 37 because she believes challenging times like today requires a new kind of leadership. With her finger on the pulse of her community, Farhio understands the issues facing the individuals and families in her district and in Minnesota. She recognizes that all voices need to be heard if effective solutions to the current challenges are to be implemented. She believes her experiences, skills, and dedication to her community are what is needed in today’s rapidly changing society. Approaches of the past are no longer effective. Collaborative, inclusive, innovative, and creative leadership is what is needed today. That’s what Farhio will bring to the Senate.

Visit Farhio Khalif's website here.