Recruitment
Recruitment
Women currently make up only 32% of State Legislators nationwide. Despite being strong and effective leaders, women are rarely encouraged to pursue public. Research shows that women need to be asked seven times before they decide to run.
The First Ask actively works with perspective candidates to answer their questions, connect them with key validators, and support their campaign launch. We work with local partners to identify promising leaders and empower them to run for and win state legislative office. Through our resources, support, and partnership, we show women that running for office is viable, and help them every step of the way.
Training
Training
One of the most common barriers non-incumbent women face even after deciding to run for office is finding campaign staff and navigating the electoral process. Often, the women we support are working full time jobs. They aren’t professional politicians, don’t know all the insiders, and don’t have the bandwidth to become experts overnight. This lack of candidate and staff training too often keeps politics an exclusive club that shuts working women out.
The First Ask breaks down these barriers by providing candidates and their staff high quality resources on every part of the campaign process. We also work with partners to connect local campaign professionals with our candidates and support additional staffing needs through our Resume and Volunteer Banks. At The First Ask, we provide each campaign individual support, including training candidates and staff one on one.
Direct Support
Direct Support
It is a fact that women running for office face obstacles to raising funds that are vital to scaling campaign voter contact operations. As a result, too often there are voters who campaigns aren’t able to reach, once again putting working women at a disadvantage.
At The First Ask, we believe in actually rolling up our sleeves and doing the work, not just offering arm chair advice. As part of the individualized support we provide each of our candidates, fill the gaps wherever needed. Whether it is calling through lists, prepping and helping with text banks, or organizing canvasses, The First Ask supports our candidates every step of the way.
Partnerships
Partnerships
When you are just starting out running for office can seem like a daunting proposition. And frequently you don’t even know who you’re supposed to talk to. Leveraging networks of local partners is vital to a succesful campaign. But without knowing who to talk to and work with, you miss out on key opportunities to secure endorsements and to scale.
That is why, in the states we operate in, we maintain active relationships with key local partners. We connect our candidates with state parties, labor organizations, potential endorsers, and more. These partnerships not only help get camapigns off the ground, they empower campaigns to scale up to reach voters and win. Even after victory, our TFA alumni form a supportive network to help subsequent non-incumbent women running for state legislatures win election.
The First Ask supports women at every stage of the campaign process. We stand with our candidates from pre-launch to post-election
Our support is comprehensive: campaign strategy, organizing expertise,
communications guidance, and more. Everything provided
in-kind at no cost to candidates