Cahill for Congress

Public Speaking & Media

Here’s the media releases about my book Ms. Cahill for Congress. You’ll also find a list of my  public speaking and media lineup, along with news stories about the book and related events.

Public Speaking, media appearances & interviews:

DATE	EVENT & ORGANIZATION
Thursday, February 10, 2011 · 7:30pm - 10:00pm	“Ms. Cahill for Congress: Stepping Up to the Challenge” — Penn State University, Altoona, Pennsylvania
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 · 3:00pm - 8:00pm	“Service Award Banquet and Lecture” — Eastern Connecticut State University

From Random House:

With all eyes on the already dynamic 2008 Presidential Election, Americans are being asked to reconsider their definition of what makes a great political leader. Who, really, can best represent us in political office? Is it the person with the most experience? Is it a man rather than a woman?  Is it the person best financially positioned to execute a successful campaign?

In September 2008, Ballantine Books will publish MS. CAHILL FOR CONGRESS, a story about an extraordinary teacher and fearless leader in her community who defied the odds and challenged political presumption with her shoestring candidacy. Tierney Cahill’s story offers a unique window into the political process—and what it’s like to run for office as a woman and an underdog.

On a dare from her sixth grade class of students, Nevada public school teacher and single mother of three Tierney Cahill ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. With her sixth grade students managing her campaign, Ms. Cahill proved that anyone in this country can run for office. Despite a total campaign budget of just $7,000—as opposed to her opponent’s $750,000—she would go on to garner 30 percent of the vote in the general election, quite a feat in conservative Reno. “It came down to putting your money where your mouth is,” says Cahill. “Or in my case, your time. There wasn’t much money.” In the end, democracy prevailed and Ms. Cahill won the Democratic primary.

The project changed not only Cahill’s life, but the lives of many of her students who became motivated to achieve beyond even their own expectations. But Tierney Cahill’s impact reaches far beyond her students. Initiated as a hands-on civics lesson in democracy, her foray into politics exposes our two-party system’s foibles in a painfully personal and revealing way. Her achievements in both the political and school arenas show us how elections could and should be run with integrity, grit and a sense of humor.

In 2009, Walden Media will celebrate Tierney Cahill’s achievement with a movie titled “Class Act” starring Halle Berry. Like the book, the movie will teach us all a lesson that’s particularly timely in the midst of what may be the first billion dollar presidential campaign. Despite financial setbacks and personal hardships, this inspiring teacher demonstrated to her students and the rest of the country that if we are to be a democracy rather than an aristocracy, our political offices can’t be sold to the highest bidder.

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