Midlife Women Shaping Local Politics

Midlife Women Shaping Local Politics

From The Uplifters by Aransas Savas

March 19, 2026 · 35 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the role of midlife women in local politics and their unique challenges and contributions.

What does it look like when midlife women step up to lead in a world that has historically told them to sit down? In this episode of The Uplifters Podcast, host Aransas Savas sits down with her own neighbors, two women who ran against each other for mayor of Highlands, New Jersey, to talk about local leadership, community engagement, and the very specific courage it takes to run for office as a woman over 40. Women currently make up just 28% of Congress, hold only 12 of 50 governorships, and are twice as likely as men to rate themselves unqualified to run for office even with identical credentials. This is a conversation about why that has to change, and how midlife women are uniquely positioned to lead it. You'll hear Rebecca Wells, the first woman to serve as fire chief of the Highlands Fire Department, and Carolyn Broullon, a three-term mayor, talk candidly about what it took to campaign in a small town, how they see the future of their community, and what civic engagement really looks like at the local level. Whether you've thought about running for office, joining a committee, or just finally going to a town council meeting, this episode is for you. For midlife women…

People in this episode

Host: Aransas Savas

Guests: Rebecca Wells, Carolyn Broullon

Topics covered

  • midlife women
  • local politics
  • community engagement
  • civic leadership
  • women in office

Keywords

  • midlife women
  • politics
  • leadership
  • community
  • civic engagement
  • women in office
  • confidence gap

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Highlands, New Jersey

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