In order to raise awareness of the nation’s female governors during the week of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is collaborating with the Democratic Governors Association.
The three-day, August 21 convention in Chicago will feature a noon discussion hosted by the Emmy-winning producer, activist, and star of Veep and Seinfeld. The eight Democratic female governors in the nation will accompany her: Gov. Katie Hobbs of Kansas and Arizona Maine Gov. Laura Kelly; Massachusetts Gov. Janet Mills Michigan Gov. Maura Healy New Mexico Gov. Gretchen Whitmer New York Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Governor Kathy Hochul.
“I’m honored to host this conversation with America’s Democratic women governors while our party comes together to celebrate in Chicago,” says Louis-Dreyfus in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “Throughout their time in office, Democratic women governors have made history, changed the conversation surrounding women in executive roles, and gotten big things done for the good people of their states. They’ve shattered marble ceilings and demonstrated excellent leadership. Their voices are essential. I’m looking forward to our conversation and the opportunity to shine the spotlight on these accomplished leaders.”
The event takes place at a time when Veep is enjoying a summer comeback, both in terms of social media following and viewership. After President Joe Biden declared on July 21 that he would not be running for reelection, Vice President Kamala Harris surged to the top of the ticket for the 2024 presidential contest. The Emmy-winning political satire Veep, which starred Louis-Dreyfus as the first female vice president who later became the first female president of the United States, was inspired by real-life events. As a result, showrunner David Mandel, creator Armando Ianucci, and Louis-Dreyfus have all commented on the show is resurgence and the recirculating memes from the show during Harris’ campaign.
“Female candidates are more scrutinized,” Louis-Dreyfus recently said of the comparisons being made between Harris and her fictional character, Selina Meyer. “That is the reality and we played into it and used it to our comedic advantage. There is an episode in which a character suggests Selina open a speech with ‘As a woman’ and she said, ‘I can’t identify as a woman! People can’t know that! Men hate that and women who hate women hate that, which I believe is most women.’ So we used that for a lot of fodder.”
The governors’ panel, which represents more than 43 million Americans nationwide, has taken the lead on a number of important issues, such as boosting their economies, increasing access to healthcare and child care, funding public education more generously, lowering taxes for middle-class families, lowering the cost of higher education, addressing the housing and mental health crises, and defending and advancing reproductive rights.
As they disclosed in a recent Elle piece, the eight ladies have bonded over their exclusive positions. They share meals, have fast walks and chats, and exchange ideas and emotional support over a group chat.
The DGA Women Governors Fund and this historic class of women as state governors will be discussed at the Louis-Dreyfus-hosted discussion.In addition to establishing the Women Governors Fund with the goal of electing Democratic women governors, the DGA has invested over $80 million in states and campaigns to elect and re-elect this group since 2018.
“Julia Louis-Dreyfus brings the same passion and intensity that drives her successful career on-screen to her projects off of it, including her decades of work as an advocate and activist fighting to protect abortion rights, voting rights and democracy and fighting to combat climate change,” says DGA Women Governors Fund chair Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey. “We share a mutual goal of supporting and electing more female candidates to all levels of government — including for governor, Congress, and, of course, for president — but we know all too well that female candidates face more obstacles to higher office than their male counterparts. As Democratic women governors, we have changed what it means — and looks like — to be a state executive.”
