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What are the NOW PAC Criteria for Supporting Candidates?
Candidates must be feminist leaders and strong supporters of women's rights issues including, but not limited to:
- support for reproductive rights without restrictions,
- economic equality,
- civil rights for all, with special emphasis on equal rights for people of color and lesbian and gays,
- constitutional equality for women,
- affirmative action,
- elimination of violence against women
Endorsements go to the strongest feminist candidate. Experience has taught us that, between two candidates with equal records on our issues, over time women candidates will generally perform better than their records would indicate, and that we must have large numbers of feminist women, a sort of critical mass, to win when women's rights are at stake. However, while NOW PACs seek to bring more women into public office, it will not support a woman against a "good" man when he is the better candidate on our issues. Our goal is to elect the strongest supporters of women's rights, and NOW PAC is the only women's rights PAC that endorses strong feminist male candidates. When all other criteria are equal NOW PAC will support a woman candidate over a man.
The National NOW/PAC and NEP use the following definitions in determining whether to endorse, support or contribute to a candidate.
- Endorsement: This is the highest show of support and should be reserved for those candidates who are leaders on all of NOW issues, such as NOW activists.
- Support: Candidates supported by NOW PAC have demonstrated a basic commitment to women's rights, although they do not fully support all aspects of NOW priority issues. In determining whether to support a candidate NOW PAC considers all aspects of the race including the candidate's record taken as a whole and the nature of their opponent’s positions on NOW's priority issues.
- Traditionally Endorsed:
Incumbents listed as "traditionally endorsed" have been
endorsed by NOW PAC in prior races and have maintained a
perfect voting record in support of women's rights issues.
The PAC has not yet taken action on their endorsements in
the current election cycle.
Updated 10/25/04
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