• Loretta Sanchez
• Gloria Steinem

EvaS: A little intro first...our guest tonight is Loretta Sanchez, the first woman Democrat to run again Bob Dornan, a reactionary, in California. Loretta, why did you decide to run for public office?

WomenWin: Well, Eva, he's more of an extremist!

EvaS: :) Yes, for sure.

WomenWin: I wanted a representative the people from my home town could be proud of and not embarrassed of. I grew up in Anaheim and I carry the same values that the people in my district have because they taught me my values.

EvaS: How did you get started? And when did you get started?

WomenWin: I was encouraged by friends and family, but resisted because it is VERY hard to run for Congress against an incumbent. I ran against three men in the primary...all better funded...and guess what? I WON! :)

EvaS: Great!!:)

NancyRhine: What do you see as the major differences between you and your opponent?

WomenWin: Where shall I begin? He is fighting a war overseas that doesn't exist and our communities are fighting a war on crime and drugs and diminished educational opportunities. He has NO connection to our needs and concerns. I support the Brady Bill, Dornan did not. I support the ban on assault weapons, Dornan did not. I support 100,000 cops on the street, Dornan did not. I would not cut Medicare, Bob Dornan voted 8 times to cut Medicare. I support Head Start, funding for school meals and student loans for college, Dornan has voted against all of these.

NancyRhine: Thanks. Most illuminating, Loretta!

Merlin1954: Have you met Dornan, and if so, is he as loony in person as he is on C-Span?

WomenWin: Actually, I have only met his son. Let me explain. His son is on his staff and he enjoys showing up at places I am speaking at to heckle me. He's sending a boy to do a man's job. LOL!

Merlin1954: LOL!

EvaS: :D

DCJ123: I would like to get rid of Dornan because he is a gay/lesbian basher. Are there any gays and lesbians supporting you?

WomenWin: The Human Rights Campaign, AIDS PAC, etc.

DCJ123: Very good, thank you. Now if we can just get Helms, too.

NancyRhine: What's your stance on immigration?

WomenWin: Be more specific, please. That's a long answer!

NancyRhine: It has to do with welfare and immigrants. Do you think we should go after illegal aliens in a hardline way, such as Wilson believes?

WomenWin: We need to curtail illegal immigration into our country. However, I think we should concentrate on employers who hire illegal immigrants. Wilson, of course, gets his funding from employers who hire illegal immigrants. We also need to get tough at the borders and ports of entry.

Sisyphus40: Dornan is seen as a real nutcase to most folks outside of California. But as a former resident of NC, I know that sometimes nuts manage to stay in office despite the national perception or how REALLY cracked they are (i.e. Jesse Helms). Do you think folks are fed up enough to boot Dornan out? What are the polls saying?

WomenWin: People ARE fed up. The polls indicate that.

Sisyphus40: That is very good to hear!! Glad you are gonna' win! :)

WomenWin: Thank you!

KHeydon321: What are your thoughts about public education and so-called s

chool choice in the form of vouchers? WomenWin: I am a public school kid and my mom is a public school teacher. I believe we need to fix our public schools first, to give all children the opportunities to fulfill their dreams.

KHeydon321: Good to hear! By the way, I'm a public school teacher! Thank you!

JHirsch29: What do you think the odds are that the California Civil Rights Initiative will pass and where do you stand on affirmative action? Where does your opponent stand on the issue of affirmative action in employment, awarding contracts and in college admissions?

WomenWin: In my district, the CCRI will probably pass. Hopefully, it will be offset with good votes in other parts of the state so, that it does not pass.

EDORAH: What do you think about our military involvement/expenditures internationally?

WomenWin: I believe we need to ensure our troops are well trained and equipped for all situations which may arise internationally. There are strategic reasons to be involved in some areas of the world. But until we have a bipartisan approach to a comprehensive methodology for handling cases (i.e. a real foreign policy), we must react on a case by case basis.

NancyRhine: Since California's agriculture economy is based largely on huge pools of migrant workers who are most often illegal aliens, won't clamping down on them make it difficult for farmers to get their produce harvested? Let's face it, those folks are doing stuff that most Americans won't do. What's the answer?

WomenWin: Farmers or agribusiness?

NancyRhine: Farmers.

WomenWin: Thank you for understanding that most migrant work is not work many Americans are willing to perform. We need to acknowledge that our disposable income will be affected if we really clamp down on our ports of entry. Most people are unwilling to look at the cost side of the equation.

NancyRhine: Right!

Pantal1: I just wanted to get your opinion on NJ governor Christie Whitman. Do you think she is doing a good job?

WomenWin: Well, her voters seem to be happy. I am not very familiar with her policies.

EvaS: Loretta, I'd like to know how much money it takes to run such a campaign as you're running and where do you get your funding?? And how does it compare with Dornan's?

WomenWin: Well, in my primary, I spent $50,000 vs. $500,000 by my opponent. Against Dornan, it will take whatever I need to beat him!

SueBD: (wow)

EvaS: You go, Loretta!!:)

WomenWin: Dornan gets his money from the Christian Right and the NRA.

EvaS: How do you raise the money? Where does it come from?

WomenWin: My money has so far been raised from private individuals, mostly from Orange County. I need about $500,000 to beat Dornan!

Pantal1: As in National Rifle Association? Yuck!!

WomenWin: Yes.

Pantal1: {shudder}

EvaS: Loretta, do you have time for anything else? Are you married, have children? :)

WomenWin: I am married. No kids yet! This is a full time job which means I had to leave my firm for this race.

EvaS: What are the demographics of your district?

WomenWin: Democrats: 46% Republicans: 39% Hispanics: 57% Asians: 15% African Americans: 2%.

EvaS: Thanks, Loretta. Sounds like a close race, if people vote by party.

Badeese: What's your stand on women in military combat?

READ MORE ABOUT IT: Woman Candidates for Public Office (rev. 10/15/96 - jlc)

[NOTE: These brief bibliographies are intended to serve as introductions to a topic, rather than as in-depth studies. -- JLC]

American Women Speak : Voices of American Women in Public Life. Davis, CA, Alta Vista Press, 1995.

Boles, J. K. "The Year of the Woman." In: America's Choice : the Election of 1992. Guilford, CT, Dushkin Publishing Group, 1993.

Burrell, Barbara C. "Party Decline, Party Transformation, and Gender Politics : the USA." In: Gender and Party Politics. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications, 1993.

Cantor, Dorothy W. Women In Power : The Secrets of Leadership. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1992.

Carroll, Susan J. Women as Candidates in American Politics. Bloomington, IN, Indiana University Press, 1985.

Carroll, Susan J. Women Candidates and Their Campaigns : A Bibliography. New Brunswick, NJ, Center for the American Woman and Politics, 1985.

Dugan, Jean. Moving More Women Into Public Office : A Three-Step Candidate Recruitment Guide for State and Local Caucus Leaders. Washington, D.C., National Women's Political Caucus, 1995.

Lansing, Jewel B. 101 Campaign Tips for Women Candidates and Their Staffs. Saratoga, CA, R&E Publishers, 1991.

McCormick, Richard P. Equality Deferred : Women Candidates for the New Jersey Assembly, 1920-1993. New Brunswick, NJ, Center for the American Woman and Politics, Eagleton Institute of Politics, 1994.

Newman, Jody. Perception and Reality : A Study Comparing the Success of Men & Women Candidates. Washington, D.C., National Women's Political Caucus, 1994.

BIOGRAPHY

Chisholm, Shirley. The Good Fight. New York, Harper & Row, 1973.

Ferraro, Geraldine. Ferraro, My Story. New York, Bantam Books, 1985.

Marshall-White, Eleanor. Women : Catalysts for Change, Interpretive Biographies of Shirley St. Hill Chisholm, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Nancy Landon Kassebaum. New York, Vantage Press, 1991.

Schroeder, Pat. Champion of the Great American Family. New York, Random House, 1989.

Siegel, Dorothy S. Ann Richards : Politician, Feminist, Survivor. Springfield, NJ, Enslow Publishers, 1996. [juvenile]

Underhill, Lois B. The Woman Who Ran For President : the Many Lives of Victoria Woodhull. Bridgehampton, NY, Bridge Works Pub., 1995.

Women Leaders in Contemporary U.S. Politics. Boulder, CO, L. Rienner, 1987.



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