Experts say women have to be recruited to run for political office, and the fundraising, campaigning and public nature make the job a tough sell.
Of some 170 women who have participated in Ready to Run workshops — special candidacy training classes begun in Nebraska in 2005 — only 12 have been elected.
About one-fourth of officeholders in Douglas County are women.
The reason for the showing could be illustrated in the cases of two up-and-coming civic leaders: Jennifer Mahlendorf, 37, and Pete Festersen, 38.
Both were twentysomethings when they joined the staff of Mike Fahey to direct policy and help run the office of the then-mayor of Omaha.
Since then, each has married, started a family and left to build a business career — Mahlendorf in marketing at her family's company, Prairie Life, and Festersen at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the Peter Kiewit Foundation and, now, as a consultant to Alegent Health.
Both remained engaged in politics. Mahlendorf was appointed to the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority board, which oversees the Qwest Center Omaha. Festersen is a newly-elected city councilman.
Yet Mahlendorf, a mother of children ages 4 and 2, won't consider a run for office yet. Her husband works full time, her children are too young and she said she's not willing to give up nights and weekends.
Festersen's daughters are 6 and 4. He said the timing was right to jump into a campaign. He tries to balance work, family and civic duty, he said, by taking the girls with him to some evening and weekend functions.
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