Women & Politics In the Era of Trump

Jessica Thomas is one of a record number of women who are running for political office all across the country.  Of the unprecedented numbers of those women, many like Jessica are first time candidates for any political office.  This means there is an excitement and ground swell of people taking their dinner table concerns out of the kitchen and into their communities.  What is bringing about this call to action?  Look no further than the current occupant of the White House.  With his chaotic leadership and divisive rhetoric, Trump is proving to be a motivator for many of these first time candidates.  It was a delight to talk to Jessica, fresh off her democratic primary win for Peoria County Auditor.  Since the recording of this interview, she has also won the battle against a proposed referendum that would have eliminated the position.  She still has a long way to go to win her seat against a strong republican candidate in November, but she has an enthusiastic base of support behind her.  The focus of our discussion was not just in her recent win, but in the deciding factors to run in the first place. I wanted to be able to talk to one of the amazing women who are a part of grass roots efforts to make change and she did not disappoint.