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Democratic Activist Women's Network

 Organization

Biography

After the November election in 1992, a group of politically concerned women met in Boone, Iowa to discuss the status of women in elected positions in the state of Iowa. This group concluded that, although women constituted fifty-two percent of the population in Iowa, eighty-two percent of Iowa state senators and eighty-four percent of Iowa state representatives were men. Furthermore, at the time, Iowa had never had a female governor, Speaker of the House, majority leader in the Senate or House, or Congressperson. A related concern was the Republican dominance of Iowa politics and its perceived impact on equal representation.

The Democratic Activist Women's Network (DAWN) was created for the purpose of recruiting, educating, supporting and helping to elect Democratic women to public office in Iowa at the local and state levels. The organization was modeled after EMILY's List, establishing networks for candidate selection and endorsement through the provision of financial and moral support. In particular, DAWN actively recruits candidates to run for office and funnels member donations to them, as well as providing campaign volunteers, advice, and woman-specific campaign training. Candidates endorsed since the organization's inception include Elaine Baxter, Bonnie Campbell, Minnette Dodorer, Sandra Glenn, Patty Judge, Robbie Fye Leach, Anne Pederson, Linda Santi, and Kathy Walter.

DAWN was structured to correspond to the five Iowa Congressional districts, with local chapters in each district.

Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:

Audio recording, October 8, 2019

 Item
Scope and Contents

Audio recording of an interview with Iowa state legislator Ruth Ann Gaines about her legislative service, including the formation of a Black caucus, her experiences as a single mother serving in public office, and her career as a drama teacher at East High School in Des Moines.

Dates: October 8, 2019

Audio recording, February 17, 2020

 Item
Scope and Contents

Audio recording of an interview with Iowa state legislator and lieutenant governor Jo Ann Zimmerman about her public service, the women's legislative caucus, and sexism she experienced in her career.

Dates: February 17, 2020

Democratic Activist Women's Network, District 1 records

 Collection
Identifier: IWA0602
Abstract

Organization created to recruit, educate, and elect Democratic women to public office in Iowa.

Dates: 1981-2009

Transcript, October 8, 2019

 Item
Scope and Contents

Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator Ruth Ann Gaines about her legislative service, including the formation of a Black caucus, her experiences as a single mother serving in public office, and her career as a drama teacher at East High School in Des Moines.

Dates: October 8, 2019

Transcript, February 17, 2020

 Item
Scope and Contents

Transcript of an interview with Iowa state legislator and lieutenant governor Jo Ann Zimmerman about her public service, the women's legislative caucus, and sexism she experienced in her career.

Dates: February 17, 2020

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 4
Collection 1
 
Subject
Democratic Party (Iowa) 4
Legislators 4
Sexism in political culture 4
Women politicians--Iowa 4
African-American politicians--Iowa 2