CHICAGO — Actress and climate activist Julia Louis-Dreyfus asked eight Democratic female governors on Wednesday if she would be willing to serve in public office after playing vice president and president on the popular cable series “Veep.”
“You’re more qualified than Donald Trump, don’t worry about that,” Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul quickly responded, drawing laughter from the packed room.
Louis-Dreyfus moderated a panel of Democratic women governors at the Democratic National Convention. The political leaders spent about an hour discussing the unique benefits of being a woman in politics and how they plan for potential disruptions and disruptions in the upcoming presidential election.
Fake voters
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said she is working closely with the secretary of state and attorney general to ensure Arizona’s electoral votes are cast and to prepare for “any scenario that comes up.”
“I think the challenges we saw in 2020 will look like kindergarten compared to what we see now,” she said. “But we’re ready.”
Grand jury indicts 18 people for engaging in voter fraud whose goal was to install Donald Trump as president after he lost the 2020 Arizona election.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer faced a similar scenario where six people have now faced criminal charges for casting fraudulent electoral votes for Trump in 2020.
Whitmer said her state legislature has taken action to pass laws to protect election workers and make it easier for citizens to participate in early voting.
“We know that every possible action will be taken” to influence the results, she added.
Louis-Dreyfus noted that during Whitmer’s tenure, she has had to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, natural disasters and an attempted kidnapping and attack.
“How do you manage to stay afloat… under these circumstances?” she asked.
Whitmer said she keeps a gratitude journal and writes down three things that bring her joy each day. She said that sometimes the list stretches to 10 items, but other days it’s not that long.
“Sometimes all I have is my dog, my bed and tequila,” she said.
Women in State and Local Politics
Louis-Dreyfus asked why it is critical to support women at grassroots level, not just at national level.
Hobbs said early support is critical, noting that this is how Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, started as San Francisco district attorney in 2003.
“The lower-level elections are key,” Hobbs said.
Several governors agreed, noting that this allowed them to enter politics through local elections.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said she got her start in the state legislature. Kotek was the longest-serving speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and the first openly lesbian speaker, elected in 2013.
“When I became chair, all the other executives were men, and you can see that when you’re the only person in the room,” she said.
It’s an event that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is aware of, noting that last year she became the first woman and openly LGBTQ member to be elected governor in her state.
Whitmer said that as a woman in politics, she was often underestimated, which she sees as an advantage rather than a limitation.
“We are treated in a very different way compared to male candidates, but I would also say that being underestimated is a huge advantage,” she said.
Laura Kelly, the governor of Kansas and chairwoman of the Democratic Governors Association, said she believes the undervaluing of women in politics “will fade over time.”
Whitmer nodded. “That will be the case with President Harris.”
Louis-Dreyfus, who is also a comedian and starred in the series “Seinfeld,” asked how humor can find a place in politics.
“I think humor is an effective tool when things are hot and heavy,” said New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Louis-Dreyfus asked governors why Republicans are “so f – – – – – weird?”
Maine Gov. Janet Mills laughed and said she knows Republicans in her state who plan to vote for Harris because “they have nowhere else to go.”
“They’re not all weird,” she said. “They know the traditional (Republican) party is not for Trump.”
Reproductive rights
Louis-Dreyfus asked how the overturning of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision affected access to abortion in governors’ states.
Since the conservative Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion two years ago, Democrats have campaigned on its behalf at the state and federal levels. Reproductive rights advocates have also led grassroots campaigns to put measures on state ballots to enshrine abortion rights in state constitutions.
Four states—California, Michigan, Ohio, and Vermont—have passed measures to amend their state constitutions to provide protection for abortion, according to data from the health policy organization KFF, which tracks votes on abortion. Currently, seven states will have ballot initiatives on the November ballot that would protect access to abortion: Arizona, Nevada, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, Missouri, and Florida.
Hochul said the first thing she did after the Supreme Court ruling was go to a vigil.
“It broke my heart,” she said.
Hochul said she has called an emergency session of the state legislature to pass legislation to protect medical personnel and patients who come to New York for abortion care.
“We’re letting women from other states know that this is a safe haven to come here,” she said. “I’m going to fight like hell to get (abortion rights) back for my granddaughter.”
