October 2024
Mission
To close the gender gap at all levels of government leadership. 1st Amendment-1st Vote, Inc. offers high school girls a non-partisan opportunity to engage in the democratic process, and to imagine themselves in elected office or professional government-related positions.
Dear Friends of 1st Amendment-1st Vote,
I assume if you’re reading this message, you’re a likely voter in the upcoming election cycle. But did you know that for the last century and a half, American women have run for elected office in the United States, even all those years ago when it was illegal for women to vote? Below, I outlined a timeline of known and not-so-known country-women of various political parties who attempted a run for the US presidency (source: wikipedia.org); the list is much longer if candidates for other US national offices were added. You may recognize or even remember some of these historic firsts by women leading the way for election to the highest office in the land! An American reformer from Ohio, Victoria Woodhull is a pioneer role model for us at 1st Amendment-1st Vote…she started the march toward gender balance in elected office 152 years ago with Frederick Douglass as her party-nominated vice-president.
Victoria Woodhull
Frederick Douglass
Woodhull was nominated by the EQUAL RIGHTS PARTY in 1872 when American women were still 48 years away from even casting a legal ballot!
Then in 1884 and 1888, the EQUAL RIGHTS PARTY nominated Belva Ann Lockwood for president; she lost first to Grover Cleveland, then to Benjamin Harrison.
In 1920, Laura Clay and Cora Wilson Stewart received one vote each at the DEMOCRATIC PARTY’s National Convention.
Margaret Chase Smith was nominated by the REPUBLICAN PARTY in 1964.
In 1968, Charlene Mitchell was the COMMUNIST PARTY’s nominee.
Shirley Chisholm was the first woman to run in a DEMOCRATIC PARTY primary, 1972; she went on to contest that party’s nomination and subsequently won the primary.
That same year, 1972, Patsy Mink was also a candidate in the DEMOCRATIC PARTY’s presidential primary…the first Asian-American woman to run for US president.
Lenora Fulani was the ALLIANCE PARTY’s 1988 & 1992 presidential candidate.
In 2000, Elizabeth Dole was a REPUBLICAN PARTY presidential favorite but she withdrew prior to the primaries.
Senator Carol Mosely Braun also withdrew from her DEMOCRATIC PARTY presidential race prior to the primaries in 2004.
In 2008, Hillary Clinton was listed as a presidential candidate by the DEMOCRATIC PARTY but lost the primary.
Representative Michele Bachman was the REPUBLICAN PARTY candidate in 2012 but suspended her campaign after the Iowa caucus.
Roseanne Barr was a 2012 GREEN PARTY candidate but lost in the primary to Jill Stein.
Carly Fiorina was a candidate in the 2016 REPUBLICAN PARTY presidential primaries, but suspended her campaign to be vice presidential running mate with Senator Ted Cruz if he won the Republican nomination.
In 2016, Indigenous American Faith Spotted Eagle received one electoral vote for president.
In 2016 Hillary Clinton was formally nominated by the DEMOCRATIC PARTY becoming the first woman to participate in a presidential debate. Clinton was the first woman to win the national popular vote, however she lost the presidency by losing the electoral college vote.
Six women ran for DEMOCRATIC PARTY president in the 2020 primaries and each participated in a primary debate: Senator Elizabeth Warren; Senator Kamala Harris; Senator Amy Klobuchar; Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; Representative Tulsi Gabbard; Marianne Williamson.
Jo Jorgensen was the LIBERTARIAN PARTY presidential nominee in 2020.
The GREEN PARTY has run a woman for president four times including Jill Stein for the third time this presidential election year (2024).
The PARTY of SOCIALISM and LIBERATION has nominated a woman for president in the last five elections, including Claudia De la Cruz this presidential election year (2024).
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley ran in the 2024 REPUBLICAN PARTY presidential primaries; she became the first woman to win a Republican primary.
This year, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris was nominated for president by the DEMOCRATIC PARTY after President Joseph Biden dropped-out of the race.
Friends, PLEASE BE REMINDED to do all YOU can to GOTV by November 5, 2024!
Sincerely,
Melina
Melina Carnicelli
Board President & Founder
1st Amendment-1st Vote, Inc
2024 Major Funders
