For Anne Carney, it all happened pretty fast.

A longtime attorney for Pine Tree Legal Assistance and active member of the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust, Carney was involved in local issues, but she had never seriously thought about running for office.

Then Donald Trump got elected president. Early the next morning, her 28-year-old daughter called from Boston, sobbing.

“She said, I could have seen myself starting a family in the next four years, but now I can’t imagine bringing a child into the world,” Carney, 55, recalled. “It shocked me and caused me to instantly feel like I needed to do something to create a country and a world where people felt more hopeful.”

As she researched her options, she realized her local House seat would be open.

“I instantly felt I had to give that a try,” she said. “I felt personally accountable when I realized the impact one individual over another had on my family.”

To get ready – and network – she attended an Emily’s List training seminar in October, and an Emerge Maine boot camp in December.

Women have been underrepresented in politics for too long, she said. “It’s really important that everyone feels empowered to run for office, to have all genders and people of all backgrounds running for office.”