Dear John,
I’m an unmarried single woman running for office in the United States. Researchers say that while my bold run for PA-03 may be applauded on the career-front, I’m hurting my chances of finding a long-term partner to settle down with.
I say that’s his loss.
Societal norms, even in 2022, favor a man in a heterosexual partnership being the primary breadwinner and advise men to steer clear from entering relationships where they might be second or third in a woman’s priorities. There’s research and articles written warning men against marrying a “career woman” because he’ll find that she won’t be happy quitting her job and staying at home, the house will be dirtier, he’s more likely to fall ill, and there’s a high likelihood that marrying a career woman will result in divorce.
Damn right it will. If a man needs me to stay home, clean the house, and prevent him from falling ill, you better believe I’m filing for divorce.
But all of that talk aside, being a single woman running for office does come with some hardships. I recently spoke with another woman who already holds public office. She used to hold very similar views to marriage and ran for office as a single woman. However, she recently decided to get married because she said she needed emotional support. She said that being a woman in politics and running outside of a political machine can be incredibly lonely.
I might be single, but this race is not without love. I deeply love the people of this district. When I leave Philadelphia for a business trip or vacation and I catch sight of Philly’s skyline upon my return, my heart starts beating faster. I know that within the city limits are everyday people going about their waking hours, showing up for one another, building community. I also know that those same people are facing a lot of undeserved and unjust struggle. This is what has propelled me to run such a difficult race in such a toxic environment. It’s what sustains me through really hard days to keep going. It’s also what fills my heart when voters invite me into their living room to sit down and talk about our platform. Love. Radical love.
This Valentine's day is all about me and my team's love for the city of Philadelphia and its people. We are in the trenches fighting every day to bring back leadership with integrity back to our beloved city. Will you consider chipping in $10 or whatever you can spare to help us keep up our momentum?