In 2012, I sat on a panel at The Wrap’s first Women in Power Summit with then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris and then-City Controller Wendy Greuel, who was running to become mayor of Los Angeles. The topic turned to stumbling blocks that women face when they enter politics.

Harris launched into a truth that she acknowledged might seem “crude,” but the reality for women running was simple. “You gotta raise money.”

Harris acknowledged that too often women tried to shy away from this fact. “I don’t want to talk about that,” she said, parroting a typical reaction. “That’s crude. Talk to me about your policies.” Then Harris repeated the message emphatically: “Women, you have to raise money to run for office.”

At that point, Harris turned to Greuel and asked point-blank, “How much do you need to raise for the mayor’s........

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