LETTERS

‘We have never needed the voices of women more’

Posted 8/2/22

To the Editor,

Twenty-two years ago, I was a candidate for Congress in Rhode Island’s Second Congressional District. I was not elected, and have spent the ensuing decades working all over …

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LETTERS

‘We have never needed the voices of women more’

Posted

To the Editor,


Twenty-two years ago, I was a candidate for Congress in Rhode Island’s Second Congressional District. I was not elected, and have spent the ensuing decades working all over the country and world to help recruit, train, and support women seeking and serving in elected office.

Today, I am proud to join Sarah Morgenthau’s team as Campaign Chair. It is time for RI to send a Democratic woman to Washington. Actually, it’s beyond time. I know Sarah -- my father and her mother were friends. She is the only candidate who draws a distinct and clear contrast with Allan Fung, both as a woman and as the only candidate with a track record of getting things done in Washington.

 President Obama trusted Sarah to run Peace Corps Response and appointed her as the first woman to run the Private Sector Office at the Department of Homeland Security. Most recently, Sarah ran the National Travel and Tourism Office in the Biden Administration and helped an industry that is crucial to our state bounce back from the pandemic. Sarah has the expertise and experience to deliver results on the challenges facing our families. She is not a career politician- but a mother, lawyer and small businesswoman who brings a desperately needed perspective to governing.

I have heard the knock on Sarah -- and find it incredibly frustrating. Sarah and her family built their home in North Kingstown almost 40 years ago. Sarah and her husband Carl were married in their backyard in 1993. Sarah cared for her mother here in her final months before she died. More recently, Sarah served on Governor Raimondo’s Homeland Security Advisory Board. Yes, she served her country in Washington, but Rhode Island is home. Sarah has worked hard to make sure every community in the Second Congressional District is heard, spending time in every town from Block Island to Burrillville and meeting voters where they are.

 Sarah knows our issues, understands the challenges working Rhode Islanders face, and she knows how to get things done. Since 1789, when the first Congress convened, 12,421 individuals have served. Just 351 have been women. As of July 7, 2022, there are 123 women in the U.S. House of Representatives (not counting four female non-voting delegates), making women 27.9 percent of the total.

I find it stunning and absolutely appalling that half of our population is grossly under-represented in government. We know that when women govern, families do better. Women govern differently than men, as studies show women leaders are more collaborative, bipartisan, and are more likely to focus on politics impacting children and families. We have the opportunity to make history here — by sending the first Democratic woman to Washington — and in my view we have never needed the voices of women more. The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade. Last week an attempt by Congress to codify the right to contraception failed. What is this, 1920? I am grateful for the leadership of Sheldon Whitehouse, Jack Reed, and David Cicilline, but I do not believe adding another man to this mix moves the cause of RI families forward. A diversity of opinion and experience here is essential.

 Sarah Morgenthau’s experience delivering results in Washington makes her the best candidate to defeat Allan Fung, and the only candidate ready to serve our district on day one. It’s why I am proud to support her in this race, and hope she’ll earn your vote as well.


Kate Coyne- McCoy

Scituate

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  • umpwuggly

    "time for RI to send a Democratic woman to Washington"

    "A diversity of opinion and experience here is essential."

    I believe you don't care about diversity of opinion, the *** or demographics maybe yet not the opinion. I have serious doubts you would vote a Sarah Palin or Kari Lake. You would take a Progressive male over a Conservative female. So please don't tell us you care about "diversity of opinion". Of course once to placed the qualifier of "woman" into your argument for a candidate makes it a ***ist choice.

    Friday, August 5, 2022 Report this