Listen, learn, and don’t let them see you sweat. Pretty good advice from three women who have competed and succeeded as candidates and board members of local, regional, national, and even international organizations. Last week, in a West Kentucky NOW-sponsored panel discussion about their experiences, Jessica Evans, Vonnie Hays-Adams, and Miranda Terry, all from Murray, shared their insights via Zoom to encourage others to test the waters of civic engagement.
Instead of formal introductions, the panelists riffed on leadership experiences that impacted them. Jessica Evans, who has served as vice-chair of the local Human Rights Commission, an appointed position, ran for city council two years ago. Although she lost by a small margin, she explained that losing opened up more opportunities for leadership. And she is not giving up.
“I’ve been called to serve,” she concluded.
Vonnie Hays-Adams, a member of the library board, reflected on a formative experience in high school. She excelled in sports. “I was a tomboy,” she confessed.
Although equipped with leadership and team-building skills, when she wanted to run for an office in Future Homemakers, the advisor declared, “You sweat too much.”
Hays-Adams was not deterred. “I like to push the envelope,” she admitted.
She shrugged and smiled, adding that, as an adult, her service to the local Women’s Club led to a leadership position at the statewide level. At home in Calloway County, she ran for Magistrate and lost, but shrugged and smiled again. She understood the political dynamics typical of a small community. Rather than being discouraged by her loss, she realized she could integrate that knowledge into future campaigns.
Miranda Terry’s path to public office began with service on the board of a state, organization – Kentucky Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Through that, she learned about the role of school boards in local education initiatives. So when there were openings to run for the local school board, she asked herself, “What do I have to lose?”
“I was young, female, with no kids, and I’m not from here,” she explained, but her pitch as a candidate was that her name on the ballot gave voters another option to consider, a new face.
She won a position and advised others who are thinking of serving, “Don’t be scared. Get your name out there.”
Typical objections from those thinking about running a campaign boiled down to concerns about time, money, and resources. Panelists remarked that their initial questions and reservations focused on details like filing fees, the cost of printing yard signs, and seeking help from like-minded individuals and organizations.
Miranda Terry got help from the local NOW group and spent exactly $374.01 on her campaign. Jessica Evans found going door-to-door an effective strategy, and her investment in door-hanger signs was a reminder that she had a personal commitment to knocking on doors and meeting voters.
According to Vonnie Hays-Adams, a candidate’s approach to funding a campaign is a question that should be dealt with upfront. “You have to decide,” she said, “’Am I going to ask for money, fundraise, or hire a campaign manager.’ Whatever you do, you have to figure out where you belong on that spectrum.”
When the topic of finding ways to short-circuit the “good ol’ boy” network came up, Jessica Evans remarked that the way to deal with it is, simply, to run. “Just talking to folks, being present is important,” she said.
“I am often the only Black woman in the spaces that I occupy,” she continued, “so just being present is a form of awareness and activism.”
For Hays-Adams, advice from her father, who once served on Murray City Council, has been particularly valuable. “No matter who they are,” he instructed, “people are going to give you two to five minutes. Make it count, and then you might get ten.”
At the end of the one-hour discussion, Miranda Terry’s parting advice to those considering a run for office was never to turn down a speaking engagement. “Using your networks,” she advised.
When Vonnie Hays-Adams ran for a county office, she had to put herself in places where she was not comfortable. “Like in a feed mill on a Saturday morning,” she explained, “or a country store where all talking stops when you walk in. ‘Like what are you doing here?’ Be ok with that and know it’s gonna happen. It isn’t personal, they just have no idea what you’re doing there. I had to get past that.”
Jessica Evans agreed. Regarding her efforts to be chosen to serve on the Amnesty International board, she emphasized the importance of being prepared to deal with unique situations. “Having a consistent message was my strategy,” she remarked. “I wanted to make sure my message was consistent regardless of who I was talking to.”
If anything can kill a campaign, it is lack of integrity, according to Ms. Evans. “Own your truth. Be an honest candidate. Be authentic.”
In a partisan race, like one Ms. Hays-Adams competed in, she had to stay on an even keel and not reveal personal feelings. “You have to know the way things tend to go when it comes to a partisan contest. It goes all the way up the chain,” she said. “No rolling of eyes.”
Miranda Terry stressed the importance of jumping into the fray. “Just do it,” she said. “You need to get your name out there. And even if you lose, at least you did it and that’s a huge step in the first place. And don’t be afraid to do it again.”
There are many resources available for women considering a run. Emerge Kentucky provides training opportunities for Democratic women interested in campaigning for public office. Log on to ky.emergeamerica.org for more information.
Emily’s List provides a boot camp for potential candidates. Read about it on www.emilyslist.org.
The one-hour discussion with Evans, Hays-Adams, and Terry is posted on the West Ky NOW Group Facebook page. The website is www.westkynow.org.