We have huge news! Colorado 50-50 has become the official Colorado affiliate of the nationally known Ready to Run® program. Through a partnership with the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University, we will be able to offer the same campaign training that they have been successfully offering for more than 25 years.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 10, 2025, when we will kick off our first Ready to Run® program in the Denver area. The training provides women with the tools and inspiration to seek elected or appointed office, manage campaigns, and participate in public life. The flagship program in New Jersey has trained over 5,000 women, with more than one-third of participants running for office. Of those candidates, 70% won their elections.
Ready to Run® alumnae are serving in federal, state, and local elected offices around the country while other participants have gone on to political campaign careers, appointed government positions, and party leadership. The curriculum has grown into a comprehensive model that covers campaign fundraising, media strategy, navigating political parties, grassroots organizing, and voter outreach. With the addition of Ready to Run® Colorado, the network now spans 21 states.
“We are working toward a future where pathways for women to engage in politics are accessible in every state as part of our mission to achieve gender parity in representation nationwide,” said Jean Sinzdak, associate director of CAWP. “On the heels of the 2024 elections, where women’s representation faced significant challenges in a highly polarized political environment, we’re thrilled to welcome Colorado 50-50 as a partner and training hub in our mission. Building a pipeline of women leaders is critical to achieving equitable governance at local, state, and national levels.”
“Colorado has a strong history of women serving in office. After Colorado women fought for and won the right to vote in 1893 – a right that excluded Native American women and others – three women ran for state legislature in 1894 and won – becoming the first women in the United States to do so,” said Erin Hottenstein, founder of Colorado 50-50. “It’s exciting that we are projected to have a majority of women serving in the state legislature in 2025. However, even with the achievement of these important milestones, we know there is important work still to do to build the bench and ensure that women’s voices are heard at all levels of government. We are honored and proud to work alongside the CAWP to bring Ready To Run® to our state.”
While Colorado has made strides toward gender parity in political representation – particularly in its state legislature, which briefly achieved a majority-women composition in 2023 and is expected to do so again in 2025 – the state has never elected a woman governor or woman U.S. senator. Through Ready to Run®, CAWP and Colorado 50-50 are working to build on the state’s progress and lay the groundwork for the next generation of women leaders in Colorado.
Are you as excited as we are? Then, we encourage you to donate now to help make the May 10 training happen. Colorado 50-50 is a nonpartisan, educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit and your contribution is tax deductible.
