Retiring county Supervisor Pam Slater-Price had a parting shot for her Republican Party on Sunday: “What are you doing in my bedroom and telling me how to run my life?”
Slater-Price, who will step down from the board after 20 years, appeared at a gathering of more than 100 people to celebrate the victory of 17 pro-choice female candidates from San Diego County.
Slater-Price said she thought the Republican Party was one that supported small businesses but was less enthusiastic about its outlook on women’s issues.
She noted that in the 162-year history of the county, only four women have served on the Board of Supervisors. She also said she was belittled by .
Slater-Price said she had hoped a woman would’ve run for her seat, she told the reception for candidates at Hera Hub Workspace For Women in Mira Mesa.
“We have to do a better job,” she said. “I would want to see more women run. We do tremendous work and we touch the lives of everyone in this county.
“Women are great in elected office because women are strong. They are endurance runners.”
Headlines may highlight the 81 newly elected women in Congress and the 20 in the Senate. But women are making headway locally as well.
The event—hosted by Run Women Run, a group that recruits and trains pro-choice women to run for elective office—also celebrated two state Assembly wins and the re-election of Rep. Susan Davis.
Davis, who has served since 2001, said she already feels a change in tone in Washington and that the 81 women elected to the House won for a reason.
“Women are there because everyone recognizes the conscientious of women,” she said.
Outgoing state Sen. Christine Kehoe, who was the first openly gay elected official on the San Diego City Council, said the number of female winners and President Barack Obama’s win was a sign that women were fighting back.
Kehoe cited the so-called War on Women—a reference to Republican efforts to restrict access to birth control and reduce abortion rights.
“It’s so obviously unfair,” Kehoe said. “When push came to shove, we had to fight for our rights.”
Francine Busby, the Run Women Run executive director who earlier ran for Congress and served on the Cardiff school board, said the group hopes to elect more women at the local level and “fill the gender gap.”
Busby said the organization, created in 2008 after the co-founders were encouraged by the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, has an outreach of about 1,000 people.
“We definitely made strides,” Busby said. “We thank you for running. We thank you for your courage. This is not for the weak of heart.”
