Some experts contend part of the reason Vice President Kamala Harris lost the 2024 presidential election was because of what they're calling "misogynoir", the intersection of sexism and racism.

In 2016, Nevadans supported making Hillary Clinton the first woman president. In 2020 the Silver State backed Joe Biden and Harris, the first woman vice president. But last month, Nevada was won by President-elect Donald Trump.

LaTosha Brown, cofounder of the Black Voters Matter Fund, said despite the loss and Trump's relentless personal attacks on Harris, millions of Americans did vote for her because of what she embodied.

"We cannot also accept this idea that because she was a woman and she was Black, that in fact was a scarlet letter for her," Brown asserted. "In fact, part of the reason why he attacked it was because it was a superpower as well."

Brown argued while Trump made a conscious effort to weaponize gender and race, it also was what made Harris so attractive to many others. But since the election was called and Harris lost every battleground state to Trump, the Democratic Party has been regrouping and trying to figure out what went wrong. While some are citing outside forces, others believe it was Democrats' inability to address issues affecting the working class.

Melanie Campbell, CEO of the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, said despite 92% of Black women voting for Harris, she is now deeply worried about why no Black women are in the running to become the next chair of the Democratic National Committee. The committee is responsible for organizing and coordinating strategy for Democratic candidates to win local, state and national offices.

"That is one of the things that I see that we have to address and that is how we deal with our money, how we put our money in and make demands because we do write checks," Campbell noted. "And the other has to do with how we find ways to fund our politics."

Campbell pointed out exit polling showed more than 50% of white women voters supported Trump. She added it raises the question of who is a true ally of Black women's interests.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.

With the Independence Day holiday weekend here, North Dakotans might be out at parades, fireworks shows and barbecues. However, new polling indicates that many Americans are struggling to feel optimistic about the state of the country.

A new Gallup survey shows 58% of U.S. adults say they're proud to be an American. While there are some partisan splits, the overall percentage is a record low for the annual poll question.

Barbara Headrick, president of the League of Women Voters of North Dakota, said it's not surprising, given the sharp divides between the two major parties. But she feels there's something else at play.

"There is still an after effect, I believe, from the pandemic from that separation from each other that we had," she said.

That the pandemic was so politicized is another complicating factor that prevented the country from healing, Headrick said, adding that it's understandable some Americans are very concerned about various rights being taken away. However, she noted the U.S. has deep flaws throughout its history, and there are still many more rights afforded today than in past decades.

If heated rhetoric clouding U.S. politics has got you down, Headrick said, you can still show American pride through actions.

"Find a way to love your country by making it better," she said.

Headrick said it can involve showing support for civil workers or volunteering at a local homeless or animal shelter. She added that expressing pride through elections doesn't just involve voting, noting that there are opportunities to stay informed about how your local government is addressing pressing issues, such as affordable housing.


get more stories like this via email

A new Indiana law, starting today, allows school board candidates to list their political affiliation on the ballot.

Candidates may choose to register with a political party, as independents or not disclose any affiliation. Those who do not select will have a blank space next to their name and straight-ticket voting will not apply to school board races. Those opposed to the new law said it injects unnecessary politics into a role traditionally focused on education.

Leslie Jacobs, a school board member for the Fayette County School Corporation in Connersville, is against the new law.

"In my 10 years, I couldn't tell you the political leanings of anybody on my board. Never comes up," Jacobs explained. "Our discussions are purely about educational opportunities, picking a superintendent, looking at budget."

She warned requiring party labels might discourage qualified candidates from running. Supporters of the new law said it increases transparency.

Jennifer Blackburn, a school board member for the East Allen County Schools near Fort Wayne, also opposes the new law.

"The scenario that there are four candidates potentially running and three are Democrat, one is a Republican -- this last school board election -- none of us were opposed," Blackburn pointed out. "As big as our county is, there are not a lot of people running."

The law will first affect school board elections in November.


get more stories like this via email

A three-part online training series on how to run for office and govern effectively begins Monday, designed for people running at any level of government office in Western states, including Wyoming.

The training is part of the Grassroots Democracy Program under the Western Organization of Resource Councils, a group organizing in rural parts of the West and includes Wyoming's Powder River Basin Resource Council.

Gwen Lachelt, political director for the group, said the series will help answer a broad range of questions.

"Everything from, 'Am I ready to run for office? How do I organize my campaign?' To, 'how do I govern, and how can I be an effective elected official?'" Lachelt explained.

As of Friday, Lachelt noted about 50 people had signed up for the training. Registration is still open until the event starts Monday at 5:30 p.m. MT.

Lachelt added she is seeing a lot of interest in running for office from people of all age groups and all backgrounds. She emphasized the group hopes to connect with Westerners who care about natural resources.

"Our goal is to build a bench of elected officials across our regions who will champion democracy and also work to protect the West's land, air, and water," Lachelt stressed.

Guest speakers at the event include Rep. Katie Sullivan, D-Missoula, who is the House Minority Leader, and Kevin Williams, a board member of Colorado's Delta-Montrose Electric Association.


get more stories like this via email