In April of 2021, Barbara O’Meara, DuPage County Forest Preserve Commissioner, District 5,
first approached me with the suggestion that we consider launching a very ambitious DWDC
fundraising effort to further support our Democratic women running for various DuPage County
offices. I was certainly interested and curious to see where this conversation might go. Well,
those of you who know Barbara, know that her enthusiasm is, indeed, captivating and her
persistence and humor take her the rest of way!

We proposed to the DWDC Leadership team that we undertake to raise $22,000 for 2022 for
the Democratic women who will be running for various DuPage County offices: County Board,
Forest Preserve Board, county-wide positions, and, hopefully, judges for the DuPage County
Circuit, appellate and Supreme Court with the initial expectation that we would be able to
present each with a $1,000 check to be used for campaign expenses. We are so excited to see
our total now at $38,017! We have several very, very generous donors among our 130
individual donors, all of whom want to see more women elected to office! These checks will be
delivered during our upcoming Tinker Harvey Founders Day event on May 22, 2022, and it looks
like we may, indeed, have close to 22 Democratic women who will be receiving these checks!

One historical, as well as a data point, that convinced many of our donors to contribute: last
year we celebrated the 100 th anniversary of the ratification of the 19 th Amendment to the
United States Constitution granting women the right to vote. So, we’ve been voting…but have
we been getting ourselves elected to office? Not so much! According to the Center for
American Women and Politics, less than 30% of all elective offices across this country are held
by women. Less – than – 30%! We hold only 9 of 50 governorships! We’re doing slightly better
here in DuPage with getting women—especially Democratic women---elected to office, but we
are nowhere close to 51% which would provide---finally---for representative parity! We need to
double the number of women in office!

Checks can be mailed to: DWDC, PO Box 483, Hinsdale, IL 60521

The ActBlue link is: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/22-4-22