There isn’t any doubt that the women of the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics are serious about taking their state from the bottom, dead last (50^th) for women in politics in South Carolina.  The bi-partisan Institute held their annual banquet and Leading Women 2009 campaign training this past weekend. 300 guests attended the banquet and 70 eager candidates and their supporters attended the Saturday campaign school.

Elected officials are taking these women seriously as well.  Majority Whip, South Carolina Congressman, James E. Clyburn attended the banquet and bemoaned the lack of South Carolina women in the political arena.  Former Congresswoman, Liz Patterson was honored for her service to South Carolina women.  Former State Superintendent of Education Barbara Nielson was also honored for her contributions to education.  Each honoree gave encouraging remarks to the women in the audience.  Mayor Robert Coble of Columbia attended along with city councilmember Tameika Devine and State Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter of Orangeburg County. 

ElectWomen Magazine Publisher, Kathy Groob, gave the evening’s keynote address and outlined the statistics for women in politics throughout the United States and compared them with South Carolina.  “The United States is 71^st in the world for elected women in politics, and even the country of Rwanda has a greater percentage of women elected than we do,” said Groob.  “There are strategies that are working in other states.”  She went on to outline those strategies that include active recruitment, early funding support, candidate training, confidence building and even in some areas – help with family obligations and childcare.

Saturday’s campaign school began with an opening address titled “Why Women Must Run, Win and Govern” by College of Charleston Professor of Political Science, Dr. Lynne Ford.  “Women aren’t comfortable with combat, and politics is a combat sport,” said Dr. Ford.  Studies show that women officeholders put public policy ahead of partisan politics and are the champions for women’s issues such as domestic violence, rape, and women’s health.  “We need to flood the system with highly trained, highly qualified women candidates.”

The campaign school began with workshops on campaign strategy by Stacey Chavis, Southern Regional Director with The White House Project, new media strategies by Internet campaign strategist, Barbara Rackes of The Rackes Group.  Rackes offered a 5-point strategy for campaign website and Internet communications to enhance campaign messaging and reach more voters and donors.  “The most important thing you do on the Internet is reach the influencers,” said Rackes. 

Campaign fundraising strategies were described by Republican fundraising consultant, Ruth Burns Sherlock of Sherlock & Associates.  Zeke Stokes, president of Zekestokes, LLC provided the Democratic perspective to the fundraising principles. 

Institute board member and President of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University, Deb Sofield, lead a workshop on media titled “Nailing Your Soundbite.”  Sofield, along with former television journalist, Heather Hoopes-Matthews, detailed the importance of candidate preparation for television and media interviews.  These professionals covered everything from appearance and speech habits to message control. 

Potential candidates for congress, lieutenant governor, mayor, judge, state representative and city council were present for the training along with campaign managers and team members.  The Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics holds two campaign schools each year in Columbia, South Carolina.  For more information, visit file://localhost/www. http/::www.scelectswomen.com.