Forever Free to Dream: Madam President / Women's History Month

There's a prevalent (false) media narrative that the Democratic Party lacks a bench of candidates who could run for president. The truth is, many prominent Democrats are not interested in running in 2016 because the party has coalesced around a strong candidate who is incredibly popular--Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton is unique in that she brings a breadth of experience to the table that is unmatched in recent years. Also, the prospect of making history as the first female president is exciting to many people. While I am solidly in the Ready for Hillary camp, in honor of Women's History Month, I'd like to showcase a dozen phenomenal Democratic females other than Hillary Clinton who could easily make great presidential candidates in 2016 if she declined to run.

Tammy Baldwin

2013 - Present, U.S. Senate (Wisconsin)
1999 - 2013, U.S. House of Representatives (WI-2)
1993 - 1999, Wisconsin State Assembly
1986 - 1994, Dane County Board of Supervisors

First openly gay U.S. senator

Advocate for single-payer health insurance

Former member of the House Progressive Caucus

Sponsor of National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program

Maria Cantwell

2001 - Present, U.S. Senate (Washington)
1993 - 1995, U.S. House of Representatives (WA-1)
1987 - 1993, Washington House of Representatives

Former Chairwoman of the Senate Small Business Committee and Senate Indian Affairs Committee

First woman (along with Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan) to defeat an incumbent senator

Strong privacy advocate, including Internet privacy

Sponsor of the Clean Money, Clean Elections Act, and later strong supporter of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill

Led effort to black drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2005

Diana DeGette

1997 - Present, U.S. House of Representatives (CO-1)
1993 - 1997, Colorado House of Representatives

Served as Chief Deputy Whip for the Democratic Caucus

Co-chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus and Pro-Choice Caucus, as well as Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus

Served as Assistant Minority Leader in the Colorado House of Representatives

Author of the law known as the "Bubble Bill" requiring women in Colorado unobstructed access to abortion clinics and other medical care facilities

Kirsten Gillibrand

2009 - Present, U.S. Senate
2007 - 2009, U.S. House of Representatives (NY-20)

Served as Special Counsel to Andrew Cuomo while he served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Helped lead the effort to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell in 2010

Proposed legislation removing military sexual assault cases from the military chain of command

One of three original sponsors of legislation to legalize medical marijuana

Introduced the FAMILY Act in 2014 which would provide for paid sick leave and maternity leave

Christine Gregoire

2005 - 2013, Governor of Washington
1993 - 2005, Attorney General of Washington

Implemented early childhood educational programs and higher math and science standards

Signed a gay civil rights bill that protected sexual orientation and gender identity in cases of discrimination in 2006, a domestic partnership bill in 2007, and same-sex marriage bill in 2012

Board member for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and breast cancer survivor

Amy Klobuchar

2007 - Present, U.S. Senate (Minnesota)
1999 - 2007, County Attorney of Hennepin County

Named Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer in 2001

Vice-Chair of the Joint Economic Committee

Former legal adviser to former Vice President Walter Mondale

Barbara Lee

1998 - Present, U.S. House of Representatives (CA-13 / CA-9)
1990 - 1996, California State Assembly

Former Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus and former Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus

Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on HIV/AIDS and the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus

Only member of Congress to vote against authorizing military use in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks because she believed it was too broad

Patty Murray

1993 - Present, U.S. Senator (Washington)
1989 - 1993, Washington Senate
1985 - 1989, Shoreline School District Board of Directors

Taught preschool and a parenting class prior to her career in politics

Current Democratic Caucus Secretary, a role she's held since 2007

Former Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on the Budget and Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs

Chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 2001-2003 and 2011-2013

Janet Napolitano

2009 - 2013, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
2003 - 2009, Governor of Arizona
1999 - 2003, Attorney General of Arizona

Current President of the University of California

Served as an attorney for Anita Hill and as a U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona, she was involved in the investigation of the Oklahoma City Bombing

Named of the five best governors in the U.S. by Time magazine in 2005

Loretta Sanchez

1997 - Present, U.S. House of Representatives (CA-46 / CA-47)

Her younger sister was elected to Congress in 2002, and they became the first pair of sisters to serve simultaneously in Congress

Major focuses while in Congress have been education, crime, economic development and protections for senior citizens

Holds a degree in Economics and was a financial analyst before entering politics

Kathleen Sebelius

2009 - 2014, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
2003 - 2009, Governor of Kansas
1995 - 2003, Insurance Commissioner of Kansas
1987 - 1995, Kansas House of Representatives

Named of the five best governors in the U.S. by Time magazine in 2005

Helped eliminate a $1.1 billion debt she inherited as governor

First woman to chair the Democratic Governors Association (2007) and delivered the Democratic response to President George W. Bush's final State of the Union address in 2008

Jeanne Shaheen