What is Winning Women?

The mission of Winning Women is to increase the number and influence of Republican women in Party leadership, as candidates, campaign leaders, and grassroots organizers. The Republican National Committee has identified Winning Women as one of the most important programs for the Party's continued success. The RNC applauds those women who have run for political office or political leadership, and encourages each state to take part in creating a leadership program and network that is designed to help women succeed. Delaware is the eleventh state to initiate such a program.

Current national trends show a decline in the number of women participating in leadership roles in political and public service. This occurs at a national, state, and local level. Our Republican Party leaders are dedicated to changing this. In Delaware, we have a strong history of women in political leadership, and we want to continue this. The First State Series is our commitment to that goal.

Women bring new talent, new perspective and increased diversity to the leadership table. Our lives are affected by decisions that are made every day by our leaders—we need to take part in those decisions. To be effective, we must have the knowledge, networks and experience of a leader. This is the goal of the Winning Women program—to expose you to ideas, strategy, techniques and networks to be a LEADER!

Drawing upon the experience of our local Republican leaders, the curriculum is rich in practical information for future candidates or political leaders. Our typical class runs from October to May, and we meet on one Saturday each month. In April we spend a day with our local leaders at Legislative Hall, and in May, we take a two day trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with many of our national leaders. The time commitment is very conducive to most careers and family schedules.

The topics of the curriculum address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

Understanding the Basics to our Government and Party
Behind the scenes in Delaware Politics—Who? What? When? Where?
Running a Successful Campaign
What it means to be a Woman Leader
Fundraising and Building Your Base
Public Speaking Training
The Role of Media in Politics
National Security and the Military
Healthcare, Education, Tort Reform, the Patriot Act, Corporate Law and many pressing policy areas of our State and Nation
Goal Setting, Crisis Management and Leadership Skills

Each of our Saturday classes are packed with some of our finest leaders, public figures and advisors. Our own elected officials give real, personal experience as leaders of our Party including Chairman Terry Strine, National Committeewoman Priscilla Rakestraw, former Attorney General Jane Brady, Senators John Still, Liane Sorenson, and Gary Simpson, Majority Leader Wayne Smith, Representatives Joe DiPinto, Deborah Hudson, and Pam Maier, State Auditor Tom Wagner, as well as many other local leaders such as:

Rick Jensen, of WDEL’s Rick Jensen Show, shared his experience of speaking on live radio debate and his experiences with the history of politics in Delaware.

Eleanor Craig, Ph.D. is the former economic advisor to Governor DuPont, and she showed how the principles of Supply Side Economics influence public policy and discussed the pressing economic issues for our state.

Sam Waltz, Jr., founder and president of the Atlantic Leadership Institute and Sam Waltz & Associates Business & Communications Counsel, shared his 30-years of award winning experience through executive coaching and guided the participants to develop their vision and goal statements.

Kathy Egan, an Emmy Award winning journalist and media consultant, demonstrated key strategies in working with the media and provided the opportunity for “live” camera time.

T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr., President of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute shared his experience in the Reagan White House, and along with Rear Admiral P. Michael Ratliff, USN highlighted the concepts of The Conservative Mind.

Richard Forsten, lawyer and Party Parliamentarian, explained details of campaign finance reform and the Republican Party Rules.

Glenn Kenton, former Secretary of State of Delaware and Chairman of the Presidential campaign of former Governor DuPont, led an incredible discussion on political strategy and the traits of a successful leader.

Bill and Martha Manning discussed the various issues facing education in our state and the ideas of charter schools and schools of choice.

AND MANY, MANY more incredible speakers will join us this year who dedicate their time to offer you information so that you may become a leader with a well-rounded perspective. We are an educational experience, not an issue-oriented organization. This is an opportunity to take one of our Party’s finest offerings.

The class size is limited each year so that you create a close network within the class, but you are also networked with women leaders around the country. Winning Women is about bringing forth the brightest and best leaders for our future!

For more information on the Winning Women of the First State Series Program, please contact: Elizabeth Roche, Executive Director at (302) 478-6967 or ERoche@FirstStateSeries.com.