Run to Win

November 2, 2020
Schriock, the president of Emily’s List, a political action committee geared toward helping pro-choice Democratic women candidates, debuts with an accessible guide to running for office. The traditional qualifications for running are less important than “integrity, passion, energy, commitment, and a true willingness to work hard, learn, and ask for help,” Schriock writes. Questions women should ask themselves before starting a campaign include “What motivates me?” and “What do I have to offer?” Schriock notes that Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is an introvert who learned to “overcome her shyness” to achieve her goals, and points to Illinois congresswoman Lauren Underwood as an example of how to mine a sense of purpose from one’s experience. After working to implement the Affordable Care Act for the Obama administration, Underwood was shocked when her Republican congressman voted for a bill that would have undermined its protections for people with preexisting conditions. She ran for his seat and won. Schriock also explains best practices for campaign fund-raising, how to move forward after a loss, and how to keep a campaign team happy and committed to the cause. Though Schriock meanders into superfluous personal anecdotes, women contemplating a political career will appreciate her comprehensive and easy-to-follow advice.

November 1, 2020
Tips on running for office from the president of Emily's List, a political action committee aiming to elect "pro-choice Democratic women...at every level of government across the country." Schriock believes that any woman can become a good political candidate "if this is the right time, if you have the right motivation, and if you're in the right situation to get the job done well." In her first book, she offers a useful but lackluster crash course for aspiring officeholders with the help of Reynolds, the vice president of communications at Emily's List, and a foreword by Kamala Harris, whom the organization has endorsed. Schriock covers the basics of running a campaign--from deciding whether to run to regrouping after a defeat--in a narrative that's part self-help, part paean to Emily's List, and part memoir of her life on political beachheads, which have ranged from her quest to become a high school student body president [in Butte, Montana] to her work as the campaign manager for Al Franken's 2008 Senate race. The author gets off to a rocky start when she lists seven "ingredients for a successful woman leader"--e.g., "integrity," "energy," and "passion"--without noting that any leader, regardless of gender, should possess those traits. She's on firmer ground when she gives practical tips on money (candidates can use campaign funds for related child care expenses) or telling "your story" to voters. Unfortunately, the text abounds with corporate bromides ("Knowing how to delegate is the key to being a successful leader") and clich�s ("If at first you don't succeed, try, try again") that may dampen would-be candidates' enthusiasm. Readers already committed to run for office will find some nuggets of wisdom, but others can find livelier, if slightly less comprehensive, advice on campaigning in Adrienne Martini's Somebody's Gotta Do It and Christine Pelosi's Campaign Boot Camp 2.0. A helpful but uninspired primer on how women can run creditable political campaigns.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2020
Consider this an invitation to change the world, even in the smallest of ways. From Schriock, president of EMILY's List, an organization dedicated to supporting pro-choice Democratic women candidates, come these stories of today's headliners, including U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood, who parlayed her medical knowledge as a registered nurse into a House advocate role; U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a U.S. Army veteran who well knows the horrors of war; and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a former 2020 presidential candidate now campaigning for women's rights. Inspiration is here, on every page, and though Schriock and co-author Reynolds insist that this is no how-to tome, it plainly and clearly identifies what's needed, emotionally and physically, to run for office. Some examples of their advice: ask yourself the right questions; know and tell your story; build your team; grow a thicker skin. While it may be difficult to probe oneself as thoroughly as the authors recommend, the current crop of local and national female politicians offers much hope, perhaps in the 2021 and 2022 races, and beyond. Women in Focus: The 19th in 2020

COPYRIGHT(2020) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 11, 2020

Shriock, president of Emily's List since 2010, and Reynolds, vice president of communications of Emily's List, collaborate to help offer advice and encouragement for women aspiring to political careers. They detail what a potential candidate should ask themselves before starting out: Are they ready? What do they have to offer? Is there as a societal problem they want to resolve? Could they successfully raise money, a key skill for every candidate? The authors shepherd candidates covering this unfamiliar terrain. In addition to listing the practical questions, Shriock and Reynolds provide moral support through vignettes from their own experience and from the experience of other women office-holders, including a foreword by politician Kamala Harris. The authors also observe that women candidates no longer experience as many gendered expectations as before. However, that doesn't mean the path to a political career will be easy. Helpfully, the authors share advice on navigating the press, which can be challenging for new and longtime politicians alike. They also highlight what makes a successful politician: empathy for those in need. Profiles of politicians, such as congresswoman Lois Frankel, give additional insight. VERDICT Schriock and Reynold's book is a worthy addition, and women contemplating a run for office will find it useful.--Cynthia Harrison, George Washington Univ., Washington, DC

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