Wendy Davis’s campaign was a long shot—the seated Republican who represented Utah’s House District 45 was so popular that even her own party doubted a Democrat could win. But Wendy knew her community, and she knew they were ready for change. Despite her party’s predictions, she knew she wouldn’t lose in a landslide. She might even win.
Davis had dreamed of running for office since she was a child. Driven, highly qualified, and well aware of the barriers facing women in politics, she paid her dues, from working as a senate page to earning a doctoral degree in Political Science.
In 2019, she was ready to prove herself in an earnest, grass-roots campaign.
She couldn’t have predicted what would come next. From a global pandemic that shuttered offices and cancelled in-person events to overblown media stories and back-handed maneuvers from her own party, Davis faced one of the most challenging campaigns in Utah history. Through it all, she would prove that she was much more than an underdog. She was a fighter.
A raw look behind-the-scenes of US electoral politics, The Fight You Don’t See recounts Wendy Davis’s bid to represent Utah’s House District 45, documenting the hidden battles she faced before—and long after—Election Day.
Wendy Davis has written a fascinating account of what it takes to be civically engaged. This is not your grade school civics primer, but an unvarnished look at how politics really works. Read this book to learn the real story behind a political campaign, which is less about glitz than grit. In doing so, you will gain a new appreciation for all the Wendy Davises out there, people of good will who are willing to endure the trials of running for office. At a time when the very future of American democracy is at a crossroads, the nation needs them more than ever.
–Dr. David Campbell, Packey J. Dee Professor of American Democracy, University of Notre Dame
When Wendy Davis decided to run for office, she made a map–a 3 foot square, color-coded, detailed, beautiful, laminated map of her House district. She’s now given us this map in the form of a memoir, the beautiful, sharp, wrenching, joyous story of her campaign, of her life as a woman of politics, of faith, of family, and, now, of words. She’s a writer, a wonderful writer, and I can’t wait for you to read her remarkable map.
–Dr. John Murphy, Professor of Rhetoric and Public Discourse, University of Illinois, and author of John F. Kennedy and the Liberal Persuasion
Wendy Davis has a voice that is both compelling and approachable, and she makes questions of citizenship, belonging, and civil disobedience kitchen table issues in this fascinating memoir. From her childhood in small-town America through her quest to find a seat in the Utah state house, Davis explains tough political concepts and uses her academic expertise and her lived experience as a candidate to give readers a peek behind the political curtain. The Fight You Don’t See makes visible the kind of barriers that women face when they run for office, how social class impacts advocacy, the way party affiliation shapes access to power, and what’s really at stake when everyday Americans participate in democracy.
–Dr. Sarah Jedd, Associate Professor of Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Elections unfold in public, but like an iceberg, most of the pivotal moments remain hidden from view. The Fight You Don’t See offers an unparalleled firsthand account, unveiling the intricate political maneuvers and undisclosed power plays transpiring behind closed doors during an election. A compelling read, this book is essential for those seeking a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by candidates, the behind-the-scenes dynamics of running for office, and the unseen forces shaping our elections and politics.
–Dr. James M. Curry, author of Legislating in the Dark: Information and Power in the House of Representatives
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