Tennessee Voices, Episode 353: Erin Vilardi, founder and CEO, Vote Run Lead,
In March, the organization Vote Run Lead came to Tennessee for three days to train women to run for elective office and help them learn how to win.
Vote Run Lead trains candidates with a feminist lens and the Volunteer State has been of special interest given legislation in recent years to restrict reproductive and transgender rights, among other issues.
Moreover, despite women making up 51% of the state's population, only 24.2% of state senators and 12.2% of state representatives are women.
On this episode of the Tennessee Voices video podcast, founder and CEO Erin Vilardi spoke about her work and why it matters more than ever especially in state capitals.
She said "choice" in the abortion debate has always been the "big canary in the coal mine.”
Vilardi discussed the linkages between choice, voter suppression and erosion of democracy.
Vote Run Lead also seeks to challenge women in power carry out a feminist agenda, which is not always the case. She attributed that to elected officials' proximity to power, regardless of their sex.
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About Tennessee Voices
The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.
Watch past episodes:Tennessee Voices videocast
Please email your ideas for future guests to me at dplazas@tennessean.com. Thank you for watching.
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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network - Tennessee. He is of Colombian and Cuban descent, has studied or worked in several Spanish-speaking countries, and was the founding editor of Gaceta Tropical in Southwest Florida. He has lived in Tennessee since 2014. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Video podcast: Erin Vilardi, founder and CEO, Vote Run Lead,
