It takes remarkable men to stand behind historic women. On June 29, 2016, Run Women Run acknowledged the support we have in our male allies with a Men of Run Women Run event at Park and Rec.
We are at a pivotal time in American history, with our first ever woman nominated for President of a major political party, a Democrat, Hillary Clinton and the contrast of her Republican opponent, Donald Trump. Clinton has championed the causes of women and families her entire life. Trump consistently demeans women and calls pregnancy an “inconvenience” to business, and says he’ll run our nation like he runs his companies.
In contrast to Trump’s humiliating attitude toward women, it was refreshing to be immersed in a crowd of men, at our event, who view women as both strong and essential to our success as a free nation.
Men of all types, straight and single, married, gay, millennial to senior, those with partners in politics, those without, yet all allies for equality in politics, joined our female membership to highlight the collective mission of Run Women Run. Our group was founded to inspire, recruit, train, mentor and support pro-choice women for elected and appointed offices. Current candidates for local positions mingled with elected officials and constituents, while our honorary host, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, gave remarks that underscored the importance of supporting women as half of our California state population.
As Secretary, Padilla oversees elections and our state historical archives. He noted how California’s first constitution, from 1849, was written in both English and Spanish, because we were a diverse state to begin with. He noted that many trailblazing women are featured in the archives, so many that he proclaims “women’s history is California history,” and with diversity as our leading quality, he believes more women are needed in politics.
One such woman is Mara Elliott. If Elliott wins her race in November, she will make history as San Diego’s first female City Attorney. It’s her first bid for office and the decision to run was not an easy one to make. She and her husband, Greg Elliott, a chemist and an adjunct professor, debated the pros and cons before agreeing that for her to run he would have to embrace the role of primary caregiver to their two young sons.
Greg Elliott joked about adding the duties of a campaign to their marriage vows, but admitted it was as easy to get behind her passion for law, as she did for his passion for chemistry. Mara is campaigning while working full time as Chief Deputy City Attorney. Although she depends on her husband’s support, she said that being endorsed by Run Women Run was the shot in the arm she needed to stay inspired.
Greg Elliott addressed the crowd by stating: “The women in our lives, our wives, our partners, mothers, they work so unbelievably hard each and every day for our families, for our children, our communities. And every day, whether it’s simply getting the job done at work, playing a leadership role in our community or raising a family, women are fighting for us. And, they get it. They’re fighting for our kids’ future, for fairness, equality, and work for justice and opportunity.” He closed by saying, “And, we need to stand with them. That’s what Run Women Run is all about.”
Also on-hand for the event was Barbara Bry, with husband, Neil Senturia. If elected, Barbara Bry will be the first high-tech entrepreneur elected to the San Diego City Council. This is also her first run for elected office and she’s favored to win the District 1 seat. When asked how he feels about Bry’s campaign, Senturia exclaimed, “I can’t wait for her to win!”
We are grateful to the men of Run Women Run, for their generous support of women on both the local and national levels. Hillary Clinton may have stars like Bill and Barack to back her up, but we have our own super men right here in San Diego and California.
Published August 06, 2016
