Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Kajtazovic wins Women Under 40 nod

Anesa Kajtazovic picked up an endorsement today from national group WUFPAC. The WUF is for "women under 40, and the bipartisan group has a twofold goal:
  • To help elect more young women to elected office so that young women have an equal voice in shaping public policy.
  • To build the seniority of women in Congress by electing women at a young age.
Kajtazovic has draw criticism, mostly under the radar, for being "impatient" in running for Congress at 27, after getting elected to the legislature at 23. But strong young female candidates are few and far between. Only five members of Congress qualify as "women under 40," three Democrats and two Republicans who all earned WUFPAC support.

Even in 2013 women are more likely to wait longer before making their first run. In this very race; when Liz Mathis opted out her daughter's last year of high school was a factor. Sure, men wait for personal and family reasons, too, but not as often and not as long.

Mathis was 53 when she made her first legislative run in 2011. That's not too different from two of the other women in the race. Monica Vernon was 51 when she first ran for city council in 2007, and Swati Dandekar was 46 when first elected to school board in 1996.

Compare that to the men in the race. Pat Murphy was 29 when first elected to the legislature, and Dave O'Brien ran for Congress at age 30 in 1988.

"I am excited to receive WUFPAC's endorsement for Congress and join the likes of incredible women like Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, Tulsi Gabbard and Debbie Wasserman Schultz," Kajtazovic posted today. "I also share an aim with WUFPAC to involve a younger demographic into our political process and let young Americans know that they are represented."

Kajtazovic is in Iowa City Friday to make some friends and raise some money. The event is at the Hampton Inn, 4 Sturgis Corner Drive. One of Iowa City's leading MUF, Zach Wahls, will also be on hand.

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