AWPC Conundrum

The Austin Women's Political Caucus is rethinking "the woman thing."

The local chapter will decide next month whether to keep its affiliation with the national organization or sever a relationship that grew out of the consciousness-raising feminist movement of the early Seven­ties. The potential breakup centers on AWPC's history of endorsing pro-choice candidates regardless of their gender. Some members believe the group should only endorse female candidates, in keeping with the founding principles of the national organization, formed in 1971 by such trailblazers as Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, and Shirley Chisholm.

The local chapter will vote March 11 on whether to adhere to a new policy handed down by the National Women's Political Caucus that prohibits local and state chapters from endorsing male candidates – regardless of the candidate's record on furthering women's causes. The national group set a June 30 deadline to bring all local and state chapters into compliance.

Aus­tin attorney Lulu Flores, president of the national organization and a longtime member of the local chapter, said most other state and local chapters across the country have signed off on the new standards. She said she's concerned that the Austin chapter "is not following the mission of what we were founded to do – endorse and promote pro-choice women candidates." The debate came to a head at the AWPC's meeting Feb. 10, with the group failing to endorse in several contested primary races because of a requirement that a candidate receive a two-thirds majority vote from members, who must be present for the vote count.

AWPC membership appears divided on whether the group should dissolve its NWPC affiliation, with most of the political consultants preferring to continue endorsing both male and female candidates. Opting out of the national umbrella, however, would require AWPC to reorganize and change its name. "How about Austin Women for Men?" AWPC member Karyl Krug suggested in jest, voicing her dismay over the chapter's failure to endorse a woman in all but one of the contested criminal court races in the March 2 primary. (The group did manage to secure enough votes to endorse Margaret Gómez for County Commissioner over Raul Alvarez.)

While Austin has an abundance of Democratic clubs, AWPC is the only local political action committee that specifically identifies itself as a nonpartisan, pro-choice, and progressive organization. AWPC member Alicia Del Rio, who is also president of the Texas chapter, says there are good arguments to be made on both sides of the endorsement issue – but she favors the women-only option. "Somewhere along the line, the original mission [of AWPC] got lost," she said. A more effective solution, she believes, would be to recruit and promote strong women candidates in a few select races. "You get more bang for your buck if you only endorse two or three."

AWPC President Cynthia Veidt, on the other hand, favors endorsing progressive, qualified candidates of either gender. "We have proudly endorsed male candidates who have strongly promoted women's rights and issues," she said, pointing to a number of AWPC-backed officeholders who happen to be men. "So, in my mind, the real issue to be decided ... is whether we will continue to choose the best candidate to support women's goals ... or whether we will amend our endorsement policy so that we can only participate in those races in which qualified women are running as candidates."