Ruth McGowan, author Get Elected

Ruth McGowan OAM provides expert consulting advice on leadership, gender equality, political intelligence, and political campaigning. As a former Mayor, she helped lead her community through the 2009 Black Saturday bushfire disaster. Ruth’s leadership and volunteer contribution were honoured with a National Emergency Medal and an Order of Australia Medal.

Inspired by the call to activists to Don’t Get Mad – Get Elected, Ruth wrote Australia’s first national campaign guide in 2019. Get Elected, a step-by-step campaign guide to winning public office encourages women and diverse candidates to stand for politics at a local, state, and federal level. Aimed at independent candidates, Get Elected equips aspiring candidates, and their supporters, to plan a successful political campaign. This practical guide draws on the successful Independent for Indi campaigns which Ruth helped coordinate, that saw Cathy McGowan elected to Federal Parliament in 2013 and 2016.