Women Helping Women – Creating A Farm Team in Virginia

By Jessica Smocer

In late September 2008, a small group of  women came from all regions of Virginia to meet at the farm of the first and only woman ever to be elected to statewide office in Virginia – former Attorney General Mary Sue Terry.  Some of these influential  women were elected officials, some gubernatorial appointees, some elected Democratic Party officials, and most were involved in the historic 2008 Presidential election. ALL were activists determined to reinvigorate the process to get more Democratice women into the electorate statewide. Due to the attention brought to bear on the historic race for the Democratic nomination, these women decided they needed to capture the power of the enthusiasm and energy in the electorate in a way that would benefit Democratic women in the Commonwealth in years to come. From this came the birth of The Farm Team and its Mission:

The goal of the Farm Team is a simple one:  recruit, develop and

elect women to office. 

The Farm Team Founders and Regional Chairs are women from all areas of the Commonwealth with the experience, energy and resources to support women candidates and change the political landscape in Virginia.

The Farm Team recruits and supports candidates at the grassroots level —community volunteers, professional women’s organization members, campaign activists, homeowner’s association leaders, small business owners or others who can step forward to run for city council, school board, or other elected positions.

The Farm Team is organized into nine regions around the Commonwealth. Regional chairs hold regular local meetings and work with their committee to identify winnable seats and potential candidates. These regional groups are at the core of The Farm Team, allowing a team to be on the ground throughout the Commonwealth.

Find Out About The Farm Team

The Farm Team is actively seeking the participation of women interested in being part of our vision. Contact one of our Regional Chairs – we particularly encourage women who may consider themselves to be “non-traditional” political candidates to join us at an upcoming regional meeting.

Join The Farm Team

Membership entitles you to attend our quarterly meetings, held throughout Virginia. You’ll also receive regular updates and other information. Just visit www.farmteam.org website and click on the ActBlue link to pay the low, $25 membership fee.

To read more, visit: http://www.cobalt6.net/showDiary.do?diaryId=2275