The Leaders Update is a publication generated after each LWVC board meeting to inform our members about LWVC activity. If you are not yet subscribed to receive Leaders Updates, please contact the LWVC office. To view past Leaders Updates, please visit the Leaders Update archives page.

November 2025

Announcing New Co-Presidents 

On October 28, 2025, the LWVC appointed Kandea Mosley Gandhi and Lorrel Plimier to be co-presidents.  Both of them are experienced League leaders and will be able to partner to share the work. The Board has seen that local Leagues have successfully used the idea of more than one person serving the League in this role.  A co-presidency leads to less stress on any one person, recognizes that younger people have more demands on their time which make them reluctant to take on a president’s role, and focuses on creating a new path for more leaders across generations to participate in the  management of the League.

Litigation

In late October, the LWVC filed a motion to intervene in the US Department of Justice case against the California Secretary of State. The Department of Justice is demanding blanket access to the State voter roll, including addresses, dates of birth, drivers license numbers, and the last four digits of voters’ Social Security numbers. The Secretary’s office has offered redacted voter information that excludes sensitive, private information.  State Leagues across the country are filing similar motions in their states.

Take Action:  Donate & Strengthen LWVC 

Our fundraising focus between now and December 31 is on raising funds for the LWVC Education Fund. We will be sending out multiple emails and a direct mail piece in the first week of December highlighting our work to engage all Californians in civic life. Individual contributions since the start of our fiscal year on July 1 have been a bit lower than expected so please help us end the year strong by giving as generously as you can and forwarding our appeals on to others.  Thank you!

Looking for Legislative Analysts

The League of Women Voters of California’s state Advocacy Team is the engine behind our legislative work —and we need volunteers to keep it strong! Guided by the League’s nonpartisan positions on government, social policy, and natural resources, our Advocacy Team reviews bills in the California Legislature and ballot measures headed to voters, and helps to determine when the League should take action. We are looking for some practical expertise in K-14 and Higher Education, Open Government, Campaign Finance, Voting Rights, Housing, Criminal Justice, Health Care, and Immigration. We have at least one analyst in each, but we need to expand our personnel so that we do not overload our current analysts. 

If you’re ready to help strengthen democracy in California, please fill out this form to tell us a little about yourself and your subject-area expertise. For any questions please contact Savannah at sjorgensen [at] lwvc.org.

Legislative Interviews

Each year local Leagues contact their Assembly and Senate members to ask them what they plan to introduce in the coming legislative session and to share with them the concerns and interests of the local Leagues.  This is important for two reasons: 1) it reminds the elected representatives that the League is not just a name on a letterhead but is also a group of constituents who live in their district, and 2) interviews provide valuable insight into the potential bills that will appear starting in January, 2026.  Look at the MyLO Members Only site and your presidents’ email for the Interview Kit. 

Fund Development

The Development Committee is dedicated to securing the resources necessary to meet the LWVC’s annual financial needs. In addition to relying on direct mail and planned giving solicitations, the committee takes advantage of action alert e-mails and special events to expand the number of LWVC’s stakeholders. Currently, an end of year solicitation to fund the Education Fund is active and a special event, Over the Edge, is scheduled for May 9, 2026 in Los Angeles. Stay tuned!

Our committee is always eager to welcome new members so please let us know if you are interested in joining the development effort by emailing Paula March at pmarch [at] lwvc.org. 

Nominating Committee

Committee members Maxine Anderson and Chair Jennifer “JDub” Waggoner (both LWV San Francisco) are conducting interviews with a number of stakeholders to establish 1) criteria for and potential candidates for Nominating Committee members, 2) priorities for the LWVC leadership pipeline and 3) to update the Nominating Committee Charter and Policies and Procedures. They can be reached at nomcom [at] lwvc.org.

Announcing New Director of Voter Engagement and Membership

Please join us in giving a round of applause and warm welcome to our new Director of Voter Engagement and Membership, Sharon Stone!  Sharon joined the LWVC staff in 2011 and has truly been the backbone of the organization over her 14 years of service, wearing many hats and filling many roles. Her new title reflects her deep experience, passion, and leadership in the areas of voter engagement and League membership.

Congratulations on the new title Sharon and thank you so much for all you do! 

Protesting Authoritarianism in the Streets: No Kings 

Across California, many of our 60+ Leagues showed up at No Kings rallies on Oct 18—joining 7,000,000 people nationwide and around the world. This is democracy in action: power belongs to the people! Thank you to everyone who showed up, spoke out, and stood together for a future built by and for all of us. Stay tuned!

Voter Engagement

We have created an Interest Group for local Leagues to discuss and collaborate on efforts around the LWVUS campaign, Unite & Rise 8.5. Please visit the group to request to join or email sjorgensen [at] lwvc.org to join this Interest Group.

Unite & Rise 8.5 aims to build a movement of 8.5 million individuals to unite and rise up against the anti-democratic actions of this administration. Launched in May 2025 and running through the 2026 midterm elections, this initiative is part of the Women Defend Democracy campaign.  The National League just released its Power Playbook 3 (https://www.lwv.org/powerplaybook3).

Join in this important project! It is largely voter registration and voter turnout work that is already being done with organizational structures that Leagues can use to generate enthusiasm. 

LWVUS Announcement

Build the Future of the League: Apply or Suggest a Leader Today!

The League of Women Voters has always met the challenges of its time with courage, conviction, and leadership. Today, as our democracy faces new and complex tests, we have a powerful opportunity to rise together—by building the next generation of League leaders who will guide our movement through 2026–2028 and beyond.

We’re calling on every member to help shape the future of the League. Whether by applying yourself or suggesting someone whose leadership inspires you, your participation is vital to ensuring the strength and diversity of our national leadership bench.

Key Resources

• LWVUS Board of Directors (see position description and application) 

• LWVUS Officers (see position descriptions and application) 

• LWVUS Nominating Committee (see position description and application) 

• LWVUS Nominating Committee Chair (see position description and application) 

• For more information, visit LWVUS Nominating Committee FAQs or email NominatingCommittee [at] lwv.org. 

Applications are open now through December 1.

Together, let’s elevate, inspire, and empower the leaders who will carry the League forward.

Thank you for reading our latest LWVC Leaders Update, and for supporting the work of LWVC year round and during this important giving season!

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