The Chairwoman of NARAL's Board Has Quit to Run for Congress

In a turbulent period for abortion rights, one nonprofit veteran decided to quit her job to make change happen from inside Congress: Allison Fine, 55, the chairwoman of the national board of NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation, resigned last week to launch her candidacy for Congress in NY-17. She's running for the seat recently vacated by longtime Democratic representative Nita Lowey, and is the first woman to join the race for the role.

Fine will be running alongside New York State Senator David Carlucci of New City, state assemblyman David Buchwald of White Plains, and Mondaire Jones, who previously worked for the U.S. Department of Justice under the Obama administration.

“I want to build on the trailblazing legacy of Nita Lowey while taking on the crucial issues facing the 17th district and our country," Fine said. "Every century, Americans remake our democracy. This is that time again. It’s time for new voices, especially in Congress where women are greatly underrepresented."

Fine is a founder of the Network of Elected Women (NEW), and started the Innovation Network to improve the work done by grassroots organizations. She's also a founding board member of Civic Hall, an organization that wants to make sure technology in NYC is used for good purposes, and she's the author of three books on online activism.

She's said that her experience will make her a top candidate in the fight for women's reproductive rights, as Roe v. Wade continues to face the potential for repeal at the hands of the Supreme Court. “If a woman doesn’t control her body, she doesn’t control her future and we can never get to parity and to economic justice without reproductive freedom,” Fine explained to The Rockland/Westchester Journal News.

If elected, Fine plans to enact a federal statute guaranteeing the right to an abortion. She's also a massive advocate for an expansion of funding for reproductive health care, including contraception and abortion services. “Fighting for a woman’s seat is a good fight to have,” Fine said to The Rockland/Westchester Journal News.

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

subscribe here