Building "Idaho Women for Biden-Harris"
Building "Idaho Women for Biden-Harris"
How a few friends grew to 11,000 strong in a ruby-red state.
The founders of Idaho Women for Biden-Harris have an online presence that stands out. Not only is it a safe space in ruby red Idaho with members in every county, but it has become THE model for all other Women for Biden-Harris state group platforms.
Idaho Women for Biden-Harris is a grassroots group that grew organically from a couple friends with an idea into an active membership of 11,000. Three take-aways from their success: 1. reach beyond party identification; 2. keep members safe within a private Facebook group; and 3. emphasize values and even respectful, religiously-informed perspectives in posts that offer accurate and up-to-date analysis.
(l to r) Sue Chew, Betty Richardson, Susan Eastlake
In forming the group, three women who are political powerhouses in their own right pooled their know-who and know-how. Betty Hansen Richardson says her political involvement goes back to her pre-school days. “Dad was a logger, a member of the International Woodworkers of America, and active in the local Democratic party. I went door-to-door with him before I went to kindergarten,” Betty says, “I was head of campus Democrats at the University of Idaho. I was always politically active, except in law school.”
Kassie Cerami and Louise Seeley, Betty’s co-leaders, became visibly active in politics more recently (during Obama’s and Biden’s campaigns respectively). Betty remembers: “When Kassie and I had the idea to create this Facebook group in July of 2020, it didn’t take long for us to act -- ‘Let’s do it!’ We invited all like-minded women we knew. Basically, what we were offering was an opportunity to network with other Idaho women who supported Joe Biden and who wanted to go beyond commenting about the need for change and make change happen. In the first 24 hours, we had 400 members. By the end of the week, we had a couple thousand. We are connectors. We know a lot of people. We like a lot of people. Between us, we had a lot of contacts – both politically active women and women who might never have been politically engaged but who couldn’t stand the idea of four more years of Donald Trump.”
Previous experience helped. Betty served as U.S. Attorney for Idaho during the Clinton Administration and worked on staff for the late Senator Frank Church (D-Idaho); Kassie served as the Idaho State Director for Obama for America. Betty and Kassie were co-leads through the 2020 election, but when Kassie moved to Oregon, Louise – who also serves as Democratic State Committeewoman for Ada County (Boise Metropolitan area) – stepped up to help run the group.
A Red State Audience
Idaho Women for Biden-Harris know their audience. Many members are strongly rooted in their faith communities, including a number of Latter Day Saints and others who belong to evangelical congregations. “We talk about values like integrity, courage, decency, and the importance of public education. A lot of groups out there discourage mention of religion, but we don’t shy away from posting progressive religious perspectives from many faiths. We make it clear that we aren’t pushing any one religion and that we gladly embrace atheistic and agnostic members too.”
Their Facebook group offers up-to-date, accurate information that is typically spread across different news sources. “We try not to post the news, which you can get anywhere, but rather we try to pull the best analysis to increase understanding of the news. We curate materials to appeal to people across the spectrum of views and formal knowledge about civics/government.”
The team is proud of its tremendous member participation. “At least 5-10 people submit content to post every day.” The team reviews suggestions and posts several times daily to its 11,000+ members. But as Betty reminds us, “The story isn’t just that we have a lot of members. Just as important is the fact that we have a lot of engagement. Every post elicits many emojis, comments, and questions.” Civility and respectful dialogue are key to our group culture.
The Importance of a Private Group with Vetted Members
If the Idaho WfBH Facebook Group were public, members might be more reticent about participating, or posting their reactions. In the group’s early days, some members worried that their families would be shunned at church or that their children would be avoided by other children at school if they were identified as Biden-Harris supporters in their communities. Responding to those worries, the team decided to make the group private.
“Before accepting new members,” Betty explained, “leaders check the prospective new member’s social media and sometimes even reach out with Facebook Messenger. The main goal is not to close people out, but to preserve the space as an on-line lifeline, as members have called it, a place where they can express their opinions without fear of recrimination OR ostracization.”
Several “Liz Cheney Republicans” and former Republicans who strongly oppose Trump, have opted in. A lot of members are unaffiliated with a particular party. Or they may hold democratic views, but in Idaho, they register as Republicans so they can vote in primaries where the contests between candidates are often more significant.
“We don’t rule out any prospective members based on party label,” Betty explains. “I know of women who are very committed to pro-life policy who have asked to join the group. I may ask them how their view on choice squares with their interest in being a member. I’ve had women respond that, even though they are pro-life, they know there are many more issues that matter and that they align on those other issues much more closely with Biden than with Trump.”
Still Growing
Women for Biden-Harris is still growing. When there is a major event, related to the Democratic convention, for example, or the State of the Union speech, group leaders issue a press release to attract new members. Whenever an Idaho newspaper mentions the group or quotes a member, Betty sees a bump in interest. Idaho WfBH proves that it is important in every case to identify the group as one that includes unaffiliated, independent and Republican members.
Betty is resolute: “We are not an arm of the Democratic Party. We are a politically diverse grassroots coalition of Idaho women who support President Biden and Vice-President Harris as they seek to restore the soul of our nation and unify our country.”
Contributors: Lauren Elliott 2024 National WfBH Partnerships Lead; Betsy Fiebach Founding Member National WfBH; and States Lead; Betty Hansen Richardson; Kassie Cerami and Louise Seeley
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I am so glad you posted this story. Members of my family began leaving Idaho 3 & 4 generations ago to get away from the oppressive culture. I was among the first born outside Idaho. There are two generations after me. Each time I've visited Idaho (a kind of pilgrimage), I met wonderful, generous people. I also met people who were less than hospitable, especially when they learned that my family had left the "one true church". To know there are women there who are actively reaching across those constraints to promote acceptance is healing for me, and I hope ultimately for the people whose lives are lived in Idaho. I honor these women.
Carving their own path -- very inspiring!