Gloria Totten
Radio: Bio of Gloria Totten
June 18, 2006
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Gloria Totten is the executive director of Progressive Majority. She took the helm of the organization in May 2001. Prior to that, she served as political director for the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) since 1996. At NARAL, she ran a multi-million-dollar department budget that was more than $9 million in 2000 and was responsible for all of the electoral and political organizing work, as well as managing NARAL's 27 state affiliates. While there, Gloria also worked to develop the organization's first nationwide pro-choice voter file, which consisted of 2.9 million pro-choice identified voters in 2000. She also devised all of NARAL's advocacy campaigns, including numerous ballot initiative campaigns, legislative battles, and the Stop Ashcroft! campaign in 2001.
From 1993-1996, Gloria was the executive director for Maryland NARAL. During her tenure, she served as the organization's chief lobbyist and strategist, chairperson for the state pro-choice coalition, director of the political action committee, and was responsible for raising the annual operating and program budgets. In her home state of Minnesota, Gloria worked as the education pirector for Pro-Choice Resources, president and lobbyist for the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and as a grassroots organizer on campaigns from the presidential to mayoral levels.
Gloria has been a progressive political activist for as long as she can remember. She attended her first precinct caucus at age nine, conducted her first precinct caucus training at age 19, and led her first candidate training at age 21. She has dedicated her professional and volunteer time to progressive issues ranging from rallying for worker's rights to expanding the definition of the Minnesota Human Rights Code. She volunteers weekly at My Sister’s Place, a battered women’s shelter in Washington, DC, and currently serves on the boards of directors for Maryland NARAL PAC and the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center. Gloria was named a "rising star of American politics" in 2002 by Campaigns and Elections Magazine.
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