and to help educate Tennessee voters on women's issues. Click here for information on our advisory board. 

Why has TDWPac been started? Lots of reasons. For starters, U.S. women still earn on average only 73 cents for every dollar earned by men. Tennessee is ranked near the bottom on many measures of women's economic, financial, emotional and physical well-being. Only 1 woman - an extremely conservative Republican - is currently representing TN in Congress; only 5 ever have. We've never considered a female Governor or U.S. Senator.  See our TN Fast Facts page for more info.

According to the Rutgers Institute for Politics, Tennessee ranked #38 out of the 50 states in 2004 on the number of women serving in the state House and Senate. Only 17% of the members of those bodies are women.

TDWPac is currently the only Tennessee PAC giving money only to Democratic women candidates for office. Many other worthy organizations exist to promote women candidates, but some of them offer financial and logistical support to Republicans as well as Democrats. TDWPac salutes their efforts, but firmly believes the Democratic Party holds the solutions to many pressing issues of the day and that its candidates should be supported through direct action and financial contributions.

Why elect women? Study after study has shown that women, when elected to office, take action on issues of concern to women. These issues usually include education, health care, and the environment.

Tennessee is facing serious difficulties on many of these issues. It isn't too far a stretch to imagine that electing more women might help.

Women still only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by men (source: U.S. Department of Labor) For college educated women, the progress of pay equity is slowing (International Herald Tribune).

The “glass ceiling” still exists in fields like chemistry and science, where women are only 20 to 30% of the enrollees in U.S. graduate Science and Engineering programs (source: National Science Foundation)

This year, the Bush Administration will cut 25% of the funding for the Women’s Health Office at the FDA (source: Washington Post, page A13, Feb. 27, 2007) One of President Bush’s first acts in office was the dismantling of the Office of Women’s Outreach at the White House (Washington Post, March 29, 2001, page A21)

The United States stands nearly alone in its failure to ratify the Treaty for the Rights of Women, also known as the UN Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). (More information: www.womenstreaty.org)

Some history on those pesky Constitutional amendments...

Over the past several years, social conservatives have led a charge to add an initiative limiting a woman's right to choose to the Tennessee ballot during contentious statewide election years.  TDWPac believes opening the door to Constitutional amendments based on social issues might lead to a "slippery slope" affecting the safety, health and welfare of average Tennesseans. In addition, we have serious concerns that adding social-issue Constitutional amendments to the ballot in Gubernatorial, Senatorial or Presidential election years helps ensure turnout amongst conservatives who might not support Democratic candidates.

TDWPac has supported a number of legislators who have been instrumental in stopping this legislation - called SJ127 when it's introduced in the Legislature - from reaching the House floor, where it certainly would lead to a difficult decision for Democratic officials who might be subject to others' distortions on the issue.  TDWPac believes abortion should be safe, legal and rare - and that legislators should work to provide higher-paying jobs, educational opportunities, and other solutions to ensure every child is a wanted child.  What's most disturbing is that SJR127, as passed by the Tennessee  Senate in 2008, would have removed the right to abortion for all Tennessee women - without exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother.  In 2007, arguing against the measure,Tennessee Senator Rosalind Kurita made a terrific speech on the Senate floor about how medical issues should be decided by a woman's doctor, not by lawmakers.

Democratic women in the Tennessee House of Representatives - and in the Senate - have repeatedly stopped women's right to privacy from being used as a political football during contentious election years.  Among them are Sens. Harper, Kurita, and Marrero, and Reps. Sontany, DeBerry, Marrero, Pruitt, and Jones.  We thank them for helping stop a "lightning rod" social issue ballot initiative from being used to demonize Democrats, and for refusing to open the door to legislation on private medical issues.

Donate to TDWPac! TDWPac is currently a state political action committee, which means we can't yet accept donations for candidates running for Federal office (U.S. Senate or Congress.) We'll be Federal soon. Please know your donation will go a long way toward helping us elect pro-choice Democratic women in the state of Tennessee.

If you feel comfortable donating online using PayPal please click the link above. Note that your credit card info will be entered using encryption technology, which helps protect your privacy and reduces payment fraud. Our online link will ask for your name and address, which is required for our reporting to the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance (and which helps us send you a thank-you note!) You will receive an email confirmation of your donation.

If donating online isn't your preference, you can also mail a check to the address listed at the bottom of the page. Make your check payable to "TDWPAC."

History We held an event in January 2005, with only three weeks' notice, and raised several thousand dollars for five female State House members who helped defeat 2004's anti-choice Constitutional amendment.

In March, 2005, and again in April, 2006, we held very successful Silent Auctions at the Belcourt Theater in Nashville that raised several thousand more dollars to help elect women in TN.  We were touched by the generosity of the Nashville community, which donated graciously to our auction and then attended to help us.  In 2006, TDWPAC gave over $13,000 in support of women candidates running for local and state positions.  We were able to help candidates all over the state, from Johnson City to Memphis, again in 2007, thanks to the Silent Auction held at Grace's Plaza in Nashville in March.

Our members have hosted a number of house parties and other events to help promote and assist women candidates for office. Many of our members are also active on individual campaigns and have served in key staff positions.

We've held two very successful events (August 2004 & 2005) to showcase Tennessee women running for office and to celebrate the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.  The 19th Amendment was passed right here in Tennessee!  Click here for more info.

Join us! Please contact us if you would like to help with TDWPac events.