Columbus School for Girls

Electing to Lead

CSG Alumnae who ran for office in 2018 reflect on a remarkable Midterm Election

“The Year of the Woman.” That is what political pundits are calling 2018. It has been 26 years since such a declaration has been made. In 1992, a record-breaking four women were elected to the Senate and 24 to the House. Looking back, that was a trickle. This year, the country experienced a wave. After the 2018 Midterm Elections, the 116th Congress will have 102 women serving in the House, and 24 in the Senate. What drove so many so many women to run for these positions? Four CSG alumnae who ran and were elected as judges shared their perspective, and say the results of this election can be attributed to three factors: money, mentorship, and a strong dose of moxey.

Money: It’s a driving factor.  
When Mary Jane Trapp ’74 was a Form VI student at Columbus School for Girls, the country was in the middle of a presidential election between incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Trapp’s social studies class was assigned to complete a project studying political campaigns. The girls were tasked with delivering a multimedia report on what they had learned, but Judge Trapp says her biggest discovery in that class was her passion for politics.

“I was both inspired and hooked on the world of politics and public service from that campaign forward,” Mary Jane said. “While still at CSG, I was chosen to attend the Presidential Classroom for Young Americans, and my week in Washington, D.C. cemented my plans to study law and politics and someday run for office.”

Read more in the Fall/Winter 2018 issue of Forte et Gratum