Uninformed. Inexperienced. Bottom of the Barrel. Hate-Filled. These are derogatory words used against female candidates for office. Some have been used against me by the male leader of the New Hampshire Democrat Party. All are incorrect and ignorant remarks.
All are wrong and I won’t accept them.
My Democrat opponent, Joyce Craig, is also a woman. I do not like the decisions she has made. I do not like the direction the city is moving under her leadership. If I did, I wouldn’t be running to make Manchester a better city. That being said, I have always kept to the issues and not indulged in personal attacks.
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My opponent and I are both mothers. Although we come from vastly different economic backgrounds, we have both been stay-at-home mothers and made the sacrifices that decision requires. We have both dedicated years to public service. Our experiences prior to having children are valid. Being a mom does not negate our life or work experiences prior to motherhood, regardless of remarks implying it does.
No woman is born into motherhood, we grow into it. I know my experiences as a mother made me a better legislator. Motherhood made me a more compassionate leader. My children changed my life. I know many other women feel as I do. We are blessed by our roles as mothers and cherish each moment of our children’s fleeting childhood.
So no, I am not uninformed just because my stance on an issue differs from that of my opponent. In fact, I go to great lengths to research and speak to all parties before making a statement. I am not inexperienced. I currently work in coordination with several state agencies to strengthen early childhood experiences through the Federal Preschool Development Grant.
My work outside of the home prior to having children included being an executive assistant to the president of a development company, running my own small business, and eventually accepting a management position with the YMCA. I have served two terms in the N.H. House of Representatives where I was promoted to the position of Assistant Majority Leader.
As a legislator, I sponsored legislation that not only strengthened education in our state but has served as a national model. I sponsored legislation that protected the rights of our immigrant and refugee girls and women for which I received international recognition. I fought for fiscally sound and responsible state budgets, as well as worked with county officials to develop the county budgets. I often stood against my party when it was the right thing to do for my constituents. I worked across the aisle for every piece of legislation that I sponsored, and through my work on the education committee.
I am not hate-filled (as the far-Left leader of the New Hampshire Democrat Party has stated) just because I view legislation with an independent mind. I fought for good legislation. I would not bend to his will and my liberal colleagues and pass bad legislation simply because the party leader took to Twitter to try to tear me down and spread falsehoods. Instead, I fought back.
Fighting like a girl isn’t an insult – it is a badge of honor. I will fight with all I have to forge a brighter future for my city. My beloved city of Manchester is certainly not scraping the bottom of the barrel, as he so eloquently put it, by supporting my candidacy.
As we approach Mother’s Day, let us stand together as strong, independently-minded, intelligent, women. Our hearts for service drive us to make our world better not only for our children but for all children. Our love for our fellow neighbor does not make us weak, it leads us to create innovative solutions.
Our love for our children and the care we put into our homes creates stronger citizens. The time we dedicate to causes outside of the home make a stronger community. Whether we are stay-at-home moms, moms working two jobs to care for our families, or CEO moms, we are all doing our best to be our best. That, in turn, will make our children their best and create a better world.
Happy Mother’s Day.
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