At the age of 24, Republican Melanie Stambaugh will be the youngest person elected to the state Legislature since 1936. Representative-elect Stambaugh will represent the Puyallup-area 25th District. A political outsider, Stambaugh beat out Dawn Morrell, a five-term Democratic incumbent, for the position in a surprise victory.
Democrats—supposedly the party for the young and women—aren’t taking Stambaugh’s surprise victory well. Pierce County Democratic chair Jeannine Mitchell told the Seattle Weekly, “We didn’t see this coming… This really blew me away. We are all just flabbergasted.” Mitchell continued, “I don’t believe being a Daffodil Queen qualifies you to pass laws and work for your constituents in Olympia.”
Stambaugh was once named Daffodil Queen at Pierce County’s celebrated Daffodil festival. As the Seattle Weekly pointed out, “no one brings home the crown without straight A’s, an ability to think on one’s feet, and impressive public-speaking skills.” Yet, Mitchell’s remark was meant to disparage Stambaugh as Olympia’s youngest legislator, belittling her as a young successful woman and sneering at her achievements.
Mitchell, a woman and an active Democrat, should know firsthand that her party trumpets itself as the party which supports young women—championing their path to success. Yet, when a young woman like Stambaugh achieves said success, Mitchell is the first to criticize and deride. Ladies and gentlemen, we present yet another glimpse into the hypocrisy of Democrats who, it appears, only champion the success of a select group of young women… those who agree with everything they believe.
So far, Mitchell’s comments have not been picked up by the mainstream media. We can’t imagine the backlash if a Republican would have made a similar comment if Stambaugh happened to be a Democrat.
