One of the strongest predictors of whether or not someone considers running for office is whether or not they are encouraged to do so by someone else – a friend, a colleague, a family member, a political gatekeeper.
Yet women are significantly less likely than men to receive such encouragement.
A number of our trailblazers are atypical in this respect. Beginning in the 1960s, they were encouraged to enter the political fray by a variety of folks – from friends and family to mentors and educators.
Click on the links below to learn about the encouragement some of Ohio’s trailblazing political women received at the start of their careers.
Time to put on the alligator suit
My husband would say, ‘Don’t you think you could beat them?’
Career highlights:
- First woman on the Elgin Local School Board of Education
- Rose to become Treasurer of the United States
- Only person to serve as treasurer at local, state and national levels
Persuaded to apply for a vacant seat
Twenty-five people applied and I got it. To me that was a God thing…. because everything was against me.
Career highlights:
- First woman Mayor of Toledo
From Ph.D. program to congressional campaign trail
All my friends started to call me…. 'You worked in campaigns. You have a background.’
Career highlights:
- Longest-serving woman in the United States Congress
Getting drafted and loving every minute of it
Our daughter… was born on Labor Day and I won the election in November.
Career highlights:
- First woman Mayor of Marietta, Ohio
- First woman Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
- Only woman to take the oath of office as Governor of Ohio
A seed planted in race for student council president
I don't know that I would have run for elected office, had that seed not been planted.
Career highlights:
- First African American woman elected to the Ohio Supreme Court
Absolutely. I’d love to!
I’d never thought of [running for office]. I hadn’t even thought about it.
Career highlights:
- First woman County Prosecutor in Ohio
- First woman Attorney General of Ohio
- First woman Auditor of State of Ohio
The Team Behind Trailblazing Women in Ohio Politics
Trailblazing Women in Ohio Politics is a collaboration between WBGU-PBS and Dr. Melissa K. Miller, Professor of Political Science at Bowling Green State University.
PHOTO CREDITS: Dayton Daily News; USA TODAY NETWORK; Ohio History Connection (SA7493AV B01); The Blade; Marietta Times courtesy of Marietta College Legacy Library
Updated: 06/30/2023 04:39PM