MANCHESTER, NH — Christine Seibert a candidate for State Legislator (Manchester-1), joined women from across the state at a day-long political skills training program on May 19 at the SEE Science Center in Manchester.
Hosted by the WomenRun initiative of the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation, the non-partisan program was intended to give New Hampshire women the political skills and confidence to run for office and win. The training was run by VoteRunLead, a nationally-recognized, non-partisan organization that trains women to, “Step up and make a difference in their own communities through service in state or local office.”
The training included personal storytelling. Seibert said, “One woman told a hilarious story that had everyone laughing. When she was a child, her mom was always politically active. They lived on a dirt road, so she wrote a petition to have it paved and got all the kids to sign it. They went on a no-bath strike and got the road paved.”
From a panel discussion with women from both parties, Seibert, a Democrat , learned, “I can work with people who have political differences, including moderate Republicans.”
Other topics included cooperation between city and state officials, the learning period for new legislators, and the education funding issues that reverberate across the state. “Women officials are often asked, ‘How do you juggle it all?’ My husband Paul does the dishes!” said Seibert with a laugh.
