Nashua Telegraph
Alyson Higgins
February 16, 2014
After witnessing the frustrating gridlock in Congress in 2013, many Americans are wondering what 2014 will bring. Election season is upon us and electing new blood to Congress will help this country get back on track. Electing women in particular, will change the way Congress operates and will help Congress be more representative of the U.S. population.
Growing up in southern New Hampshire, I did not fully understand the powerful voice our state has in United States politics. It wasn’t until my junior year at Salem High School, when I had the chance to job-shadow then-Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, that I really became interested in public service. Sen. Ayotte inspired me to think not just about “what I wanted to be when I grew up,” but rather, “what problem I want to solve.” As I’ve started my career in the political world, I have realized first and foremost that actions speak louder than words. This was exemplified when the women of the Senate took the necessary steps to end the government shutdown this past October.
I am proud to be from New Hampshire, where we have the first all-women delegation in the country. The Granite State is led by Gov. Maggie Hassan, Sens. Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen, Congresswomen Carol Shea-Porter and Annie Kuster, Speaker of the New Hampshire House, Terie Norelli, and state Supreme Court Chief Justice Linda Stewart Dalianis. While not all of these women agree politically, I believe each of them is working to make the country, and the state, a better place.
Alyson Higgins is a founder and volunteer for RightNOW Woman PAC.