• Press Release

In Bizarre Speech to Men-Only Group, John James Reveals Backward View of Gender Roles and Leadership

September 14, 2018

For Immediate Release
September 14, 2018

In Bizarre Speech to Men-Only Group, John James Reveals Backward View of Gender Roles and Leadership

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In revealing footage, Republican Michigan U.S. Senate candidate John James reveals his bizarre view of gender norms and declares that men “have a charge to lead.” In response, Christina Reynolds, vice president of communications at EMILY's List, released the following statement: 

“John James clearly has a backward and offensive view of women, including the fact that 'women want men who have been tested' as their leaders. What? He hails from Michigan, a state that has repeatedly elected Debbie Stabenow to the Senate and just this year nominated an incredible group of women leaders at the top of its state ticket to fight for working families. So instead of talking about men and their 'charge to lead,' he should open his eyes. Women are leading Michigan into the future, and Michiganders do not need or want leadership from the likes of John James.” 

EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has raised over $500 million to support pro-choice Democratic women candidates – making them one of the most successful political organizations ever. Our grassroots community of over five million members helps Democratic women wage competitive campaigns – and win. We recruit and train candidates, support strong campaigns, research the issues that impact women and families, and turn out women voters. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect 116 women to the House, 23 to the Senate, 12 governors, and over 800 to state and local office. Forty percent of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Since the 2016 election, thousands of women and counting have reached out to us about running for office. To harness this energy, EMILYs List has launched Run to Win, an unprecedented effort to get more women to run at the local, state, and national levels.