With a record number of women serving in Congress, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has its eyes already set in the 2020 election — specifically, in how to get more women serving in the upper chamber. This is why Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire has been tapped as the new chair of the Women’s Senate Network, Refinery29 can exclusively report.
The Women's Senate Network is a DSCC program first launched in 2001 by Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. It is focused in organizing women running for the Senate and getting them elected. Hassan, the former governor of New Hampshire who was elected to the Senate in 2016, told Refinery29 she was ready to roll her sleeves up and work.
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“In 2018, we saw more women run for office than ever before, and the Women’s Senate Network was a huge part of that success — now we have to build on that progress,” she said. “Electing more women in 2020 will help protect the issues we care about, from economic security to healthcare, and we’re ready to get to work.”
During the 2018 midterm election, the Women’s Senate Network raised more than $7.5 million, mainly from grassroots donors, the DSCC told Refinery29. These resources were used to elect of Sens. Jacky Rosen in Nevada and Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona, a move that flipped two seats previously held by Republicans, and helped re-elect nine women senators.
DSCC Chair Catherine Cortez Masto, who made history when she was elected to the Senate in 2016, led the Women's Senate Network in the 2018 midterm election cycle and said she was proud of passing the torch to Hassan.
“I’m here as the first woman from Nevada and the first Latina ever elected to the Senate because of the support of the Women’s Senate Network and I’m so proud to partner with Maggie as we focus on 2020,” Sen. Cortez Masto told Refinery29. “We have a huge opportunity ahead and it starts by making sure we do everything we can to position our candidates to win.”