Friend,

During Women’s History Month, I’ve been thinking about the important women in my life, the women who have influenced my career, and my vision as a leader. One woman who has been instrumental in my success as a Democrat was my mother-in-law, Joanie, who would have celebrated her 89th birthday today. She’d not be pleased I told you that number!

We still haven’t celebrated Joan’s life together — she died from COVID a little less than a year ago, but I wanted to take a moment to celebrate her life with you because she was an absolutely extraordinary woman: politically engaged, progressive despite the era, progressive before people knew what a progressive even was, and she was completely dedicated to creating opportunities for women to achieve and succeed.

She worked for every party presidential candidate from Kennedy to Obama, was the granddaughter of a suffragist, and a loving wife and mother to five wonderful children.

She was an accomplished multitasker, able to chain smoke, cook, watch MSNBC, and play solitaire — all while feeding, bantering with, and loving her boisterous family.