By way of response to the LSU Manship School News Service article “Why does state GOP recruit so few women to run for office?”, the Republican Party of Louisiana takes strong issue with the underlying premise stated in the title as well as the misleading facts mentioned in said article. It should also be pointed out that the author of said article did not bother to contact an official spokesperson from the Republican Party of Louisiana (the LAGOP) for an interview or a statement.
The fact is that of the twenty-two women currently serving in the Louisiana Legislature; twelve are Republicans. One more is in the March 30th runoff against a male Democrat largely funded by out-of-state left-wing political organizations, so our party has the potential to soon add another female Republican to our legislative ranks. Of further note is the fact that the number of Democrat females in the legislative delegation has actually decreased since 2015, while the number of Republican females continues to increase.
As regards statewide elected officials, in addition to electing a Republican female as Commissioner of Elections, the fact is that the LAGOP has nominated or endorsed Republican females for U. S. Senator, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Insurance Commissioner, several of whom were defeated in vicious campaigns conducted by “good ole boy” DEMOCRAT political machines. In Louisiana’s most recent statewide race just this last November, two of the four female candidates for Secretary of State were Republican women.
And what about the Republican Party of Louisiana itself? Here again, the facts speak for themselves: Females have served as Chairwoman, Vice Chairwoman (including the current Vice Chairwoman), and Secretary. Most of the LAGOP Deputy Chairs are female, as is most of the party staff, and many of the chairs and members of our Republican Parish Executive Committees are also female, with more arriving every day.
The LAGOP strongly agrees that Louisiana needs to elect more females to public office, a point apparently missed by the Louisiana Democratic Party as the number of its female state legislators has declined. Meanwhile, our party is doing everything it can to recruit, train, organize and assist our candidates, both male and female, as never before. Our growing female legislative delegation and the many Republican females being elected at the parish and local levels of government, solidly attest to this fact.
Our objection to this article is that it politicizes and thereby demeans a very real issue of fundamental importance to all Americans. This offensive LSU Manship School News Service article does not help the cause of women in pursuing political office, rather the reverse.
Louis Gurvich, Chairman Republican Party of Louisiana
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