Endorsement Guidelines
WIL CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENT POLICY
WIL is a nonpartisan organization that endorses women candidates who support reproductive rights, regardless of party.
To be considered for endorsement, a candidate must be running for an office that at least some Orange County voters can vote for (local office, statewide election, U.S. Congress or Senate). In rare cases, WIL may endorse in an adjacent county.
Our endorsement criteria are as follows:
1. A candidate must fully support reproductive rights, including:
- A woman’s rights to make her own healthcare decisions including access to contraception, abortion and all reproductive health services
- Access to abortion services regardless of age or financial need
- Access to all tools and support required for compliance with the California Healthy Youth Act
2. A candidate must be deemed viable according to WIL criteria. Viability is assessed based on a candidate’s:
- Campaign organization (website, campaign consultant or campaign manager, volunteer base and/or staff, draft budget, fundraising plan, etc.)
- Past involvement in women’s causes and community organizations, on boards or committees, etc.
- Opposition
3. A candidate must be a WIL member in good standing to be endorsed.
Interested candidates should start by requesting access to the endorsement application and completing our questionnaire below. They may then be invited to be interviewed by the board.
If multiple candidates request our endorsement for the same office, we may endorse more than one candidate or decline to endorse in the race.
WIL reserves the right to withdraw its endorsement at any time.
Candidates seeking WIL's endorsement for the November 2024 general election must complete the application process by September 1 at the very latest.
If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]