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Politics & Government

Thissen Rallies Support for Pro-Choice Women Candidates

The Richfield legislator spoke at a backyard fundraiser Tuesday evening.

Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL-Richfield) was in St. Louis Park for the first-ever "Men for WomenWinning" fundraising event Tuesday night, lending his support to WomenWinning, a 30-year-old statewide PAC that advocates for—and recruits—pro-choice women candidates.

"The voices of women in the Legislature move that dial so much further than if it's all men sitting there," Thissen said, referring to the importance of getting women candidates elected in order to make sure that a dialogue was taking place at the Capitol.

"And I hate to admit that as a man, but that's absolutely the case," he said.

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Lauren Beecham, the executive director of WomenWinning, said it's very important to have a female perspective in office.

“Women prioritize women’s issues, but it’s not just issues that are important to women. It is also issues that impact families. While men might vote the right way, it’s actually women who bring those issues to the table,” Beecham said. 

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“It’s important to get them there, so that legislatively, (these issues) can be prioritized,” she said.

While women make up 51 percent of the U.S. population, only 17 percent of Congress members are women. The Minnesota Legislature is better, at 32 percent. This election season, WomenWinning is endorsing roughly 60 pro-choice women candidates across the state.

Due to redistricting earlier this year, Thissen's district will no longer represent Richfield following the November 2012 elections.

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