Elected Officials Share Tips on How Women can Succeed in Politics

By Ioana Patringenaru I November 7, 2005

County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price talks during a panel discussion about women in politics.

If you're a woman and want to run for office, you have to be ready to hear people say they can't vote for you because of your gender. Some might say your voice is too high-pitched, or childish. Some of your own relatives might think you're not cut out for the job. And the pay is not that great.

But if you keep at it, the rewards can be great.

These were some of the insights four women, all elected officials, shared Thursday with an audience made up mostly of female UCSD students. They were taking part in a panel discussion put on by the university's Women's Center and the San Diego branch of the American Association of University Women. The goal was to encourage female students to continue their education in politics, said Morgan McDaniel, president of the association's local branch.

"You can either do politics, or have politics done to you," San Diego Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña told the audience, quoting one of her friends.

A former community college and high school teacher, Saldaña said she decided to get into politics as her programs kept losing state and federal funding. The obstacles she had to overcome were mostly intrinsic, stemming from her background and upbringing, she said. After all, her grandfather, from Panama, had one ambition for her: that she would marry a successful man. But she overcame her doubts and encouraged her audience to do the same.

"California deserves and requires the full-time attention of very smart people," she said.

Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler faced a different kind of obstacle when she ran. Her voice, she acknowledges, can be mistaken for the voice of a child. But she also has a passion and interest for politics. After being elected, she spent 10 to 12 hours every week for about a year working on keeping trash rates down for her constituents.

Encinitas Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan said she faced a smear campaign during her election. One day, about 150 volunteers mobilized and handed out 20,000 flyers between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. to counter a hit piece her opponents put out. "When you're running grass roots, you have to have your feet on the ground to get your message out," she said.

Sure, there are challenges, but holding political office has its rewards, too, County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price told the audience. On Thursday, the supervisor, a self-described animal lover, opened a revamped animal shelter in North County. The new facility has a no-kill policy, meaning adoptable animals won't be euthanized, she said.

Slater-Price makes $119,000 a year, plus a car allowance. By contrast, Holt Pfeiler makes $44,000, including her allowance, while Houlihan makes $914 a month. They all work well over 40 hours a week.

Katheryn Alpago, a second year student, said she enjoyed the talk, especially Holt Pfeiler's descriptions of her struggles with her voice. Alpago also said she learned more about how to get involved in politics.