By Karen and Erica

We remember when we learned, on July 12, 1984, that Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate for President, had chosen Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate. We were moved to tears. We just could not believe that a woman had actually been chosen to run as Vice President.

The joy of that moment never left us. 

Of course, even before Ferraro’s candidacy, women had run for high office. In 1872, Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to run for President. She might have done better if women had then had the right to vote. 

Many remarkable women ran after her—Margaret Chase Smith and Shirley Chisolm especially come to mind. 

And since Ferraro ran women have made huge strides in the political arena. 

• In this election cycle, several women with ladylike ambition ran credible campaigns for the highest office—Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar among them. 

• In the last Presidential election, Hillary Clinton ran as the Presidential nominee for the Democratic Party, and won the popular vote. 

• In 2012 John McCain, the Republican candidate, chose a woman as his running mate. 

• And as of today one hundred and twenty seven women hold elective office in the United States Congress. Ninety women hold statewide elected executive offices. 

Nevertheless, Ferraro’s candidacy was a turning point for us. We started to believe! And now another Democratic candidate for President has chosen a woman to be his running mate—this time, a woman of color. And we are excited once more.

Kamala Harris would likely have preferred to be running at the top of the ticket, and we are absolutely ready for a woman President. And she will suffer all kinds of absurd attacks. But her candidacy is a huge step forward. It is already a victory to be savored. We are elated.