I first saw Rachel Reddick on Facebook when she was announcing her candidacy to run for the 8th Congressional District seat in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. I was concerned about the direction of the country, and the dangerous and daily madness of the Trump Administration. The wave of women deciding to run for public office to stand up against both political and sexual harassment was rising, and thousands of women were jumping in. According to Emily’s List, which trains pro-choice women to run for office, the number of Democratic women running for the US House of Representatives is up 350% from 41 women in 2016. More than 26,000 have contacted Emily’s List about running this year. So, who was this Rachel Reddick?
I sent her a message on Facebook the day after Election Day 2017, just to see if I would get a response. I wrote that I was a retired television news executive who wanted to offer help with media relations, policy, and reaching out to community groups to get her message out. I knew Rachel had a background that people would see as ideal for a new Democratic candidate. She grew up in Bucks County. She came from a family of veterans. Her grandfather fought in World War II. Her father served in Vietnam. Her brother enlisted in the Marines shortly before 9/11. Rachel was raised in a Republican family. She broadened her world view by going to Temple University, law school at Rutgers-Camden, and decided to serve her country in the Navy as a lawyer for six years. All this sounded good, but did she have the determination and drive to do what it takes to run uphill and give herself just the chance to win?
I have covered local and national politics for over 40 years. It can be nasty, dirty, and costly. Running becomes a full time, seven day a week marathon. My Facebook message was answered the next day. Rachel and I spoke on the phone, and met for coffee, which always seems like the beginning of any relationship. What struck me first was Rachel didn’t have to do this. She and her husband are successful attorneys. They could have gone on to have great careers. Why put themselves through this?
This is one of the most critical mid-term elections in generations. I could only compare it to the mid-terms in 1974 right after Watergate, and Nixon’s resignation. The election of Donald Trump and women coming out of the darkness of sexual abuse and harassment in the workplace have pushed Rachel to stand up, and say this has to change. Rachel has worked with women who have been abused and knows the toll it takes on them, their families, and the country. She wants to change the culture. Get things done. She comes from a family of conservative Republicans, but evolved as she got older to form hear own judgments and opinions.
I’ve seen Rachel speak one on one with people, to small groups, and large groups. She commands the room with a pleasant, but direct manner that makes people listen. She makes a strong case for her positions on good governing, healthcare, pro-choice, wages, but most importantly, working across the aisle. Getting things done. She makes the point of telling people she wants to listen, something we should all do.
When I asked Rachel at our first meeting why she wanted to do this, she told me about Election Night, 2016. She and her husband had a house party with friends expecting to celebrate the election of Hillary Clinton. As the night wore on, it became obvious things would end differently. People slowly started to leave, as the balloons started to deflate. Rachel said she went up to her three month old son’s room, sat down on the floor and cried. She said she couldn’t let her son grow up in a world where Donald Trump’s voice was the loudest. She made a promise to her son to make the world a better place for him.
My generation was called to serve by John Kennedy in his inaugural address at the dawn of the 1960s, “…ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” I considered my service journalism, informing people of the issues of the day, and holding public officials accountable. But, in my retirement I can’t sit back and not try to right the wrongs I see. It’s time for a new generation of leadership to take up of the cause and guide us back to an America where people of opposing points of view listen to each other with respect, with the goal of making everyone’s life better.
I support Rachel because she didn’t let the tears of that last election night deter her. She listened to the inspiration of her generation. Barack Obama, as he was leaving office said, “If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clip board, get some signatures, and run for office yourself.” Let’s help Rachel keep her promise.
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