Harriett Woods

Who was Harriett Woods?

Harriett Woods was an American politician and activist, a two-time Democratic nominee for the United States Senate from Missouri, who served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of Missouri. She was Missouri's first and so far only female Lieutenant Governor.

Born Ruth Harriett Friedman in Cleveland, Ohio, she received her Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the University of Michigan. She married Jim Woods on January 2, 1953. Before beginning her career in politics, Woods worked as a journalist and TV producer.

Her political career began as a member of the University City Council in 1962, where she served for eight years. Woods was elected to the Missouri State Senate in 1976 and was re-elected in 1980. In 1982, she made a strong bid for the US Senate, running against moderate incumbent Republican John Danforth. Aided by a strong grassroots base that rallied under the slogan, "Give them hell, Harriett!", Woods built up a political presence in the state. Danforth defeated Woods by a margin of less than two percent. Some have argued that the deciding margin in the campaign was Woods' strong support for abortion rights in a state where rural voters generally oppose abortion.