Three of the six state-wide executive positions in Illinois are held by women. Depending on the outcome of the election, up to three could remain filled by women.
The races with female candidates include lieutenant governor, attorney general, and comptroller:
Lieutenant Governor
- Paul Vallas (D)
- Evelyn Sanguinetti (R)
- Alex Cummings (L)
Attorney General
- Lisa Madigan (D) Incumbent
- Paul Schimpf (R)
- Ben Koyl (L)
Comptroller
- Sheila Simon (D)
- Judy Baar Topinka (R) Incumbent
- Julie Fox (L)
Sanguinetti said despite those candidates, women are outnumbered in government. She would like to see more females holding elected office.
She said almost twice as many men are running for statewide offices in Illinois as women this fall.
“Some fantastic, very talented males are on the ballot too,” Sanguinetti said. “But I do know for a fact that we are outnumbered. You know, it’s great to support candidates, but I’d like to see women emerge and run for office in higher numbers.”
She said she consulted with her family before deciding whether to run with Rauner.
“I think that for women, what happens is we feel guilt because we need to be there for our children and also be professionals and wear a lot of hats,” Sanguinetti said.
Because of that, Sanguinetti said women frequently take supportive roles in political campaigns.
“Many times they help other organizations by hosting events or possibly cooking,” Sanguinetti said. “But I’m meeting some really amazing women and while we need those meals, I also say, ‘You’re pretty amazing why don’t you run for office?’”
Sanguinetti serves as the third vice president of the Illinois Federation for Republican Women. She said some of the group’s work centers around promoting and encouraging female politicians.
