Author
Barbara Rodriguez
Barbara Rodriguez is our statehouses reporter. She most recently worked at the Des Moines Register, where she covered health care, politics and state government. Before that, Barbara was the Iowa statehouse reporter for The Associated Press, where she worked for a decade.
The Latest
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Ginsburg’s death galvanizes liberal women across U.S. voting in key Senate races
“It’s going to bring people out of the woodwork,” said one Maine statehouse candidate as women opened their wallets.
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Trump says his Supreme Court court pick will be a woman
The president made the commitment one day after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, leaving a vacancy on the court.
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In historic year for trans candidates, Sarah McBride poised to become the nation’s first openly transgender state senator
The Delaware candidate’s win caps off a primary season with several trans people set to break barriers in statehouse seats around the country.
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This state auditor is leading a national effort to improve COVID-19 data tracking
Kathy McGuiness, Delaware’s first woman state auditor, has launched a multi-state initiative to collect better data about the coronavirus pandemic. Will it work? She sees no downside in trying.
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Lawmaker who brought her newborn to the California statehouse joins other elected women challenging outdated notions around parenthood
Weeks after Buffy Wicks gave birth to her daughter, the lawmaker was denied a request to stay home and have someone vote at the state Capitol on her behalf. There are lessons for other legislative bodies to do better, warn women in elected office.
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Delaware official rejects statehouse candidate’s request to use campaign funds for child care
The decision this month highlights the patchwork of laws and administrative rules around the country for parents seeking elected state and local office.
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How a young girl talking about deportation became one of the breakout moments at the DNC
The two-minute video of Estela Juarez’s emotional and personal letter to President Donald Trump spotlighted the realities for some families living under his immigration policies.
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Trump pardons Susan B. Anthony, a pioneering suffragist with a complicated legacy
The move — and the 100-year anniversary of women's right to vote — allows a moment to examine the complex history of one of the suffrage movement’s most monumental figures.
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Tennessee helped ensure White women’s right to vote. A century later, Black women there fight new battles.
In August 1920, the Tennessee Legislature ratified the 19th Amendment, adding women’s right to vote to the U.S. Constitution. A century later, three Black women involved in Tennessee politics talk about the unfinished business behind the anniversary.
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U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik wants to elect more Republican women into office
In a conversation with The 19th, the Republican congresswoman talked about why her new political action committee aims to elect more women to her party, and she offered advice to women thinking about running.