February 20, 2024

CAWP’s flagship campaign training program, Ready to Run® New Jersey, is just around the corner! On March 15th and 16th, CAWP will host two days of workshops and wisdom from political practitioners to prepare you to run for office or engage directly with your government. Sessions include:

• Digital Strategies for Candidates, Campaigns, and Advocates
• Launching Your Campaign
• Finding Your Political Power – Elected or Not
• Strategic Campaign Communications
• Navigating New Jersey’s Political Parties for Candidates
• Legislative Advocacy
• Fundraising for Success

The Ready to Run® Diversity Initiative kicks off the program with:  



• ELLA Wins (Elections & Leadership Latina Academy)
• Rising Stars: Educating Asian American Women for Politics
• Run Sister Run: Empowering Black Women for Public Office

Find the full agenda at the Ready to Run® page on the CAWP website, and get registered today to get Ready to Run®.

NEW Leadership® is CAWP’s innovative program for introducing college students to women’s leadership, and our flagship Susan N. Wilson NEW Leadership® New Jersey is now recruiting applicants for our 2024 cohort!

NEW Leadership® is a six-day residential program held on the Rutgers University–New Brunswick campus that prepares students for public leadership, educates them about women in government, teaches them how to navigate the world of politics and government, and introduces them to political practitioners working today. The NEW Leadership® alumni network is a powerful network of people committed to advancing women’s leadership, and many alums are currently working in government, advocacy, or holding public office.

The Susan N. Wilson NEW Leadership® New Jersey program is open to undergraduates enrolled for the 2023-24 academic year in any New Jersey two or four-year college or university, as well as New Jersey residents enrolled in out-of-state two or four-year colleges or universities.

Learn more and submit an application here.

CAWP Director of Research Kelly Dittmar will participate in a virtual discussion about her recent research, Rethinking Women’s Political Power, on February 27th at 12pm ET. The event, hosted by the Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues (CWI), will focus on overcoming challenges that persist in women’s interaction with politics as candidates, officeholders, voters, and election officers. Dr. Dittmar will be joined by Dr. Maya Kornberg, a research fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, who will speak about the recent Brennan Center report, Intimidation of State and Local Officeholders. The conversation will be moderated by Jan Erickson, government relations director for the National Organization for Women and co-president of CWI, and Connie Cordovilla, Fairfax County election officer and vice president CWI. Register to attend via Zoom here.

U.S. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman will give this year’s Gov. James J. Florio Visiting Scholar in Public Policy Lecture at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy tomorrow at 5pm at the Bloustein School, Rutgers–New Brunswick. Rep. Watson Coleman’s lecture, Defending Democracy: The Fight for a Floor Beneath Which No Person Should Fall, will touch on her record of legislative work in bridging the gap for Americans living in difficult economic circumstances in areas like environmental regulation, criminal justice reform, and poverty support programs. Learn more and register to attend the event here.