‘Not a Word We Use for Male Leadership’

Individuals in male leadership roles have ‘a lot more leeway in terms of their leadership and the emotions they display.’ — Christy Holstege

PALM SPRINGS — Christy Holstege, who for the second time is running to represent District 47 in the state Assembly, said women “have to continue to be doubly better,” than their counterparts in male leadership to be taken seriously.

Look for her to do just that as she challenges Greg Wallis for the seat, he narrowly won last year. Holstege lost to Republican Wallis by 85 votes last year, a 0.05% margin in a race that saw 169,419 votes cast., according to certified election results from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.

Holstege is ready to prove her mettle, and combat sexist and misogynistic comments simply by being herself. She knows the descriptions are coming. She’s lived it and weathered it all before.

In a Nov.2, 2022 editorial endorsing Wallis, the Desert Sun editorial board wrote: “Holstege has significant experience in city government and as an attorney serving disadvantaged clients. She is well-versed on the ins and outs of policy. Depending on your perspective, her approach can be bold — or brash.”

“I’m sure I’ve been called shrill,” Holstege told Uken Report in a recent interview. “I’m not sure how my leadership is brash. (The Desert Sun said) I fought for hero pay for workers. By the way, we passed hero pay for grocery workers during the pandemic. The majority of grocery workers are women, working parents and moms. So that isn’t brash to me. It’s not a word or an adjective I think we use for male leadership.”

Again, I think men in elected positions are able to have a lot more leeway in terms of their leadership and the emotions they display.

“Women are unfortunately held to a higher standard, and we have to continue to be doubly better to be taken seriously,” Holstege said. “And it’s unfortunate because I’m an experienced candidate. I’m the only candidate who served in elected office, who’s made significant decisions on public policies. So, it’s unfortunate. I think sometimes there’s some backlash for me talking about personal issues like a miscarriage because there’s still barriers for women and some people don’t like us to talk about it.”

Holstege was first elected to the Palm Springs City Council in 2017 and was reelected in 2020. She rotated into the mayor position for a one-year term in 2021. Her current term is set to expire in 2024.

Holstege is a civil rights attorney, businesswoman and mom to Aden.

She is also the founder of a legal aid clinic for domestic violence survivors and their children.

She did not do this by being a shrinking violet. Brash?

Bring it on. She’s heard it all before.

District 47 is rooted in the Coachella Valley and San Gorgonio Pass and includes Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Idyllwild and Banning, along with portions of cities such as Palm Desert and Beaumont in Riverside County and Yucaipa, Calimesa and Yucca Valley in San Bernardino County.