Senator Catherine Cortez Masto: Why Diverse Leadership Matters
GRACE XU: Last Thursday, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) joined GU Politics Executive Director Mo Elleithee for a conversation on the importance of diverse leadership in the public policy sphere. As the first Latina ever elected to the United States Senate, she shared her experiences combating racial and socioeconomic disparities, as well as various issues that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. In light of the COVID-19 crisis and recent tragedy, Senator Cortez Masto also provided her insights into why including diverse voices is key to bringing about positive change.
Demanding Diversity
The event kicked off with the Senator diving into her path to public service. Having been raised by parents who were both actively involved in local politics, Cortez Masto explained that it was “natural” for her to get into public policy after graduating college. Her family’s Mexican-American roots also motivated her to explore ways of working with others to “solve problems in the community.”
Alluding to her historic election to office, Cortez Masto argued that diversity in general is crucial to ensuring that underrepresented groups are not left out of important policy discussions. “If we are going to pass laws in this country,” she asserted, “we need that diversity around the table when we are making those decisions.” Furthermore, she believes that those in government should “mirror the constituency they represent” in order to truly understand and empathize with different populations.
In the context of the devastating health and economic impacts that COVID-19 has had on minority communities, Senator Cortez Masto pointed to the ways her perspective as a woman of color has shaped Nevada’s response to the crisis. She emphasized the challenges of providing equal access to resources in hard-hit, low-income neighborhoods, as well as the need to overcome language barriers in AAPI and Latin American communities. Getting the data on cases has been critical to targeting areas with insufficient access to healthcare and education.
More broadly, the Senator criticized the current White House administration for rolling back regulations, including aspects of the Affordable Care Act, which has subsequently facilitated more discrimination against women, LGBTQ individuals, and people of color. Even if progress is being made, she warned, “we have to be vigilant" and sustain dialogue on legislation and the issues they aim to fix.
Creating Change and Common Ground
Addressing the recent incidents involving George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, Cortez Masto condemned the racial injustice as “completely outrageous” and called for a “paradigm shift…at all levels.” She encouraged the audience to demand justice, call out racism, and remember that change “starts at the election box in November.”
At the same time, it is imperative not to forget the education piece, which Cortez Masto defines as helping others understand and experience life in her shoes as a Latina woman. Citing the fact that Nevada is a purple state, she stressed her role in finding common ground even with those who did not vote for her. In such a partisan environment, “we have to stop making it us-versus-them…[and] make sure we’re talking in terms of all of us,” she explained.
Participating in Politics
Mandating diversity has not only been a priority in Cortez Masto’s Senate office, but also for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who has promised to select a woman as his running mate. While Cortez Masto was reportedly on his shortlist for Vice President, she has since withdrawn her name from consideration, but expressed her excitement for “all of these women...to bring a different perspective” to the White House.
During the virtual forum, Cortez Masto stated that it was “an honor just to be mentioned” as a potential candidate and she would “be there 100% for Joe Biden.” However, the current circumstances have driven her to focus fully on Nevada’s recovery from the pandemic and her ongoing commitment to the Senate.
In such an important election year, Cortez Masto believes it is paramount that Democratic outreach to African American and Latinx communities begins early. “You can’t show up at the last minute” to ask for their support or vote, she asserted, “You have to listen…and build a relationship.”
As the conversation came to a close, the Senator reiterated the need to “demand diversity” because it is “who we are as Democrats and who we are as a country.” Rather than being discouraged by the current state of politics, we should recognize that “our country is beautifully diverse” and empower younger generations to create much-needed change.
Grace Xu hails from Atlanta, Georgia and is a rising sophomore in the School of Foreign Service studying International Politics.