Tell Me Your Story: Women Over 50 in Political Campaigns

A call for experiences from women who've navigated ageism and sexism in Democratic politics

Yesterday, I published a Substack piece about the invisible glass ceiling facing women over 50 in Democratic campaigns—how those who broke through gender barriers earlier in their careers now face a new form of discrimination that combines ageism with sexism in uniquely damaging ways. You can read it here.

The response has been overwhelming. My inbox has filled with messages from women saying "finally, someone is talking about this" and "I thought I was the only one experiencing this." It's clear that what I wrote about isn't just a theoretical problem—it's a lived reality for countless women across the Democratic political ecosystem.

Frankly, I heard from women outside of the Democratic political ecosystem —- turns out, the ageism/sexism epidemic isn’t particular to political campaigns.

But here's what I realized: while research and analysis can illuminate the scope of this issue, the real power lies in the stories of the women who've lived it. Your stories. Your experiences. Your insights about what it's actually like to navigate political careers as you age, and how the intersection of gender and age creates barriers that are often invisible to others but painfully real to those experiencing them.

I Want to Hear From You

If you're a woman over 50 who has worked in Democratic politics—whether as a consultant, campaign staffer, political operative, fundraiser, communications professional, field organizer, or in any other capacity—I want to hear about your experience.

I'm particularly interested in stories about:

The Subtle Shifts: When did you first notice that your age was becoming a factor in how you were perceived or treated? What were the early warning signs that things were changing?

Specific Incidents: Have you been passed over for roles you were qualified for? Excluded from meetings or decision-making processes? Had your ideas dismissed or attributed to others? Been offered roles that seemed to underutilize your experience?

The Language of Exclusion: What coded language have you encountered? How do people talk about "fresh perspectives," "new blood," or "dynamic leadership" in ways that seem to exclude women of your experience level?

Network Changes: How have your professional relationships evolved? Have you noticed changes in how younger colleagues interact with you? Have informal networks that once included you begun to exclude you?

Financial Impact: How has age-related discrimination affected your economic security? Have you had to accept lower-paying roles or face gaps in employment?

Intersectional Experiences: How does your experience vary based on other aspects of your identity—race, class, sexual orientation, geographic location, or area of political specialization?

Coping and Resistance: How have you navigated these challenges? What strategies have worked? What support systems have been helpful?

The Broader Picture: What do you think needs to change? What would make Democratic political organizations more inclusive of experienced women?

Why Your Story Matters

Individual experiences of discrimination often feel isolating. Women facing age-related bias may wonder if they're being overly sensitive, if they're imagining patterns that don't exist, or if their struggles are unique to their particular situation or personality.

But when we collect these stories together, patterns emerge. We can see how systemic discrimination operates, how it affects different women in different contexts, and what the cumulative impact looks like across the political ecosystem.

Your story also helps illuminate solutions. While structural reforms are important, they often emerge from understanding how discrimination actually manifests in day-to-day professional interactions. The women who've found ways to navigate or resist these barriers have insights that could help others facing similar challenges.

Perhaps most importantly, sharing these stories helps break the isolation that often accompanies age discrimination. When women realize they're not alone in these experiences, it can be both validating and empowering.

How to Share Your Story

You can reach me directly

or respond in the comments below. I'm also happy to set up phone conversations if you'd prefer to talk rather than write.

You can also respond, anonymously, by filling out this form and returning to me.

A few important notes about participating:

Confidentiality: I understand that sharing these experiences can feel risky, especially for women who are still actively seeking work in political campaigns. I'm happy to keep your identity completely confidential if you prefer. You can also choose to share some details publicly while keeping others private.

No story too small: Sometimes the most illuminating experiences are the small moments—the meeting where you weren't introduced with the same formality as male colleagues, the conversation where someone expressed surprise at your technological competence, the hiring process where you felt age was a factor even if it wasn't explicitly mentioned.

All experiences welcome: Whether you've faced dramatic instances of discrimination or subtle forms of exclusion, whether you've found ways to overcome barriers or are still struggling with them, whether you're currently working in campaigns or have stepped away from political work—all perspectives are valuable.

Your expertise matters: Many of you have not only experienced age discrimination but have also developed insights about how political organizations could do better. I'm interested in your recommendations and ideas for change, not just your experiences with problems.

What Happens Next

I'm planning to compile these stories into a follow-up piece that will illustrate the patterns and themes that emerge from your experiences. This won't be a simple collection of anecdotes, but rather an analysis that uses your stories to deepen our understanding of how gendered ageism operates in practice and what can be done about it.

I'm also hoping that this process will help build connections among women facing similar challenges. While I can't solve systemic discrimination through a Substack newsletter, I can help create awareness, build solidarity, and perhaps spark conversations that lead to meaningful change.

The Courage to Speak

I know that sharing these stories takes courage. Many of you are still actively working in political spaces and may worry about professional repercussions. Others may feel that focusing on age discrimination somehow undermines the progress that's been made on gender equality more broadly.

But here's what I've learned from the women who've already reached out: silence doesn't protect you from discrimination, and isolation doesn't solve the problem. The women who broke gender barriers in politics didn't do so by quietly accepting exclusion, and the women facing age barriers today won't overcome them by suffering in silence.

Your stories matter because they illuminate a problem that affects not just individual women, but the effectiveness of Democratic political organizations as a whole. When campaigns systematically exclude experienced women, they lose access to decades of strategic wisdom, institutional knowledge, and hard-won expertise.

Your stories matter because other women facing similar challenges need to know they're not alone, they're not imagining things, and they're not the problem.

Your stories matter because the next generation of women in politics needs to understand what barriers they may face as they age, so they can be better prepared to navigate and change these dynamics.

And your stories matter because change often begins with naming the problem clearly and specifically, with evidence that can't be dismissed or minimized.

A Personal Note

When I started researching this topic, I expected to find some evidence of age discrimination against women in political campaigns. What I didn't expect was the depth of pain, frustration, and isolation that so many women are experiencing. I didn't expect the number of incredibly accomplished women who described feeling invisible, irrelevant, or pushed aside just as they reached the peak of their expertise and capability.

This isn't just about individual career satisfaction, though that matters enormously. This is about a systematic waste of human capital that weakens Democratic political efforts at a time when every resource and every bit of expertise is desperately needed.

The women who are experiencing age discrimination today are the same women who fought to create opportunities for others throughout their careers. They mentored younger women, broke barriers, built institutions, and paved paths that others have followed. They deserve better than to see their own careers derailed by a new form of discrimination that combines the worst aspects of ageism and sexism.

But they also represent a powerful resource for understanding and addressing this problem. Their experiences, insights, and recommendations could help create political organizations that truly value experience and expertise regardless of age or gender.

The Conversation Starts Now

The comments below are open, my email inbox is ready, and I'm prepared to listen. Whether your story is one of struggle or success, whether you've found ways to overcome barriers or are still working to navigate them, whether you're currently in campaign work or have stepped away—I want to hear from you.

The conversation about gendered ageism in politics has been happening in whispered conversations and private messages for too long. It's time to bring it into the open, to name it clearly, and to work together on solutions that ensure all women can contribute fully to political leadership throughout their careers.

Your voice matters. Your experience matters. Your story matters.

I'm listening.