Our mission:
Women Who Run Nebraska is a state membership Political Action Committee (PAC) that supports and promotes progressive women running for office in Nebraska. We are the only PAC in the Midwest with this mission.
Our guiding principles:
We support women candidates who advocate for policies and legislation that diminish or eradicate the myriad barriers that systematically work to hold women and girls back from achieving their full potential.
While all women face discriminatory hurdles, we know that Black women, Latinas, Native/Indigenous, and trans women face more than most. While Women Who Run wasn’t designed specifically to support Black, Indigenous and Women of Color, and trans women, we believe firmly in doing our part to ensure these candidates are equitably supported with the resources they need to succeed.
Our ability to do this work wouldn’t be possible without the valiant women who came before us, and the strong women who work alongside us. We celebrate and support the work of others in this space, recognizing that we are stronger together. We are in it for the long-haul and invested in the kind of future we want to see.
About our organization.
Women Who Run Nebraska PAC is established and administered by She’s Electable Nebraska, LLC, which provides contract campaign services.
As an organization, we aim to be welcoming and inclusive. We offer support for all cis and trans women, as well as non-binary people who are comfortable in a space that centers the experiences of women.
Meet the team.
Denise Blaya Powell, Co-Founder and Partner
A Florida native who has proudly called Nebraska home for 15 years, Denise Blaya Powell has worked in community relations and grassroots marketing for more than two decades. As co-founder of Women Who Run NE (WWR), Denise has a passion for connecting candidates and community through trainings, events and volunteer engagement. An active community leader, Denise serves on the Board of Directors for the Common Senses Festival, and the Women’s Center for Advancement, an organization dedicated to empowering survivors of domestic violence, stalking and trafficking.
Jessica Lathrop, Partner
Omaha native and seasoned campaign strategist, Jessica Lathrop is joining Women Who Run NE (WWR) as the Director of Campaign Operations. Jessica has served in campaign operations and compliance roles for numerous state and local campaigns. She has also worked in the State Legislature for two state senators, and served as Political Director for the Obama for America campaign in Nebraska in 2008. Jessica previously volunteered on a local Nebraska Foster Care Review Board.
Leanne Prewitt, Co-Founder
Leanne Prewitt, co-founder of Women Who Run NE (WWR), brings to the organization her professional experience as creative director for a marketing and design firm. An Omaha-native whose work has taken her to New York and back, Leanne brings that same creative energy to WWR and to the grassroots activities and opportunities the organization provides for candidates and the community. As a leader in the Omaha community, Leanne is actively involved and committed to giving back. In addition to her work with WWR, she has also donated her time and creative talents to her alma mater, Mercy High School, where she serves as a board member and recently led the organization in a complete re-brand.
Our history.
Denise (L) and Leanne (R) at a Women Who Run Yard Sign Drive-Thru event in 2018.
Denise Blaya Powell and Leanne Prewitt attended the Women’s March in Washington D.C., in January of 2017, and returned to Omaha fired up and determined to do something positive to change things for women and families in Nebraska. Rather than focusing solely on #resisting the administration, we founded Women Who Run Nebraska to make it easier for women to get involved in politics in Nebraska.
What started as letter writing quickly turned into candidate forums and meet and greets. That expanded to candidate training programs, voter outreach events, financial assistance, campaign publicity–basically any and everything we could to support our amazing candidates. Today, the organization provides all of this and more with the addition of She’s Electable Nebraska, LLC providing contract campaign services.