Following New Jersey’s Election of a Woman Governor, CAWP’s Ready to Run® Program Prepares Next Wave of Women Candidates
WHEN: Friday, March 20 – Saturday, March 21, 2026
WHERE: Douglass Student Center, 100 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
RSVP: Registration via press contact is encouraged. Please email [email protected] with inquiries or to register. Plenary sessions, including keynotes, are open to the press. Breakout sessions and workshops are off the record, but press may attend and take photographs and b-roll footage. During breaks and between sessions, press may interview participants with their approval.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Following the election of Gov. Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey’s second woman governor, women’s leadership in the state is in the spotlight, raising questions about whether increased visibility at the highest levels of government could inspire more women to consider running for office.
That question comes as the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) at Rutgers University prepares to host the 2026 Ready to Run® New Jersey campaign training this weekend. The nationally recognized program equips women with the skills, confidence, and networks needed to pursue elected or appointed office and engage in political life.
With the 2026 midterms currently unfolding, many Ready to Run® alumnae are already stepping forward as candidates across the state. The program has long served as a pipeline for women seeking elected office, with participants going on to run for local, state, and federal positions.
The training brings together elected officials, political strategists, and policy experts to help women gain practical tools for entering the political arena. Through hands-on workshops and discussions, participants learn how to launch campaigns, communicate with voters, navigate party structures, and build support networks.
The keynote address will be given by Jeannine Frisby LaRue, partner at Moxie Strategies and veteran New Jersey public affairs leader who previously served as Rutgers University’s vice president for public affairs and deputy chief of staff to former Gov. Jon S. Corzine.
Dr. Patricia Campos-Medina, president of Latina Civic Action and executive director of Cornell University’s Worker Institute, will deliver the Diversity Initiative opening keynote, setting the stage for the pre-conference sessions designed to support women of color, including Black, Latina, and Asian American women.
The program will also feature plenary workshops:
- “Digital Strategies for Candidates, Campaigns, and Advocates,” featuring Tara Dowdell, president of Tara Dowdell Group
- “Strategic Campaign Communications,” featuring Martha McKenna, founder of McKenna Media
- “Raising Money to Win & Build Power,” featuring Kimberly Peeler-Allen, campaign fundraising professional and CAWP visiting practitioner
Breakout sessions feature many prominent political leaders from around the state, including Assemblywoman Aura Dunn; political strategist T. Missy Balmir; Monmouth County Clerk and New Jersey Republican Party Chair Christine Hanlon; Mayor Sheena Collum, South Orange; Amanda De Palma, Executive Director, New Jersey Conference of Mayors; and many more.
Despite making up more than half of the population, women remain underrepresented in political leadership. According to CAWP’s research, From Data to Diversity 2025: The Demographics of New Jersey’s Elected and Appointed Officials, women comprise just 30.5% of officeholders across all levels of government in New Jersey. The state has also fallen to 34th in CAWP’s rankings of states by women’s representation in state legislatures. Ready to Run® New Jersey provides essential resources and mentorship to help close the gender gap in politics and government.
Get the full Ready to Run® New Jersey agenda here.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
About Ready to Run®
Ready to Run® is CAWP's nationally recognized signature campaign training program, providing women with the tools and inspiration to seek elected or appointed office, manage campaigns, and participate in public life. The flagship program in New Jersey has trained more than 5,000 women for public leadership. Surveys have shown that more than a third of participants go on to run for office, with 70% winning their elections. Ready to Run® alumnae are serving in federal, state, and local elected offices around the country while other participants have gone on to political campaign careers, appointed government positions, and party leadership. The comprehensive curriculum covers campaign organization and fundraising, media strategy, navigating political parties, grassroots organizing and voter outreach. The network currently spans 21 states.