105 - Healthcare Beyond Party Lines with Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung
Listen to full episode :
PC105 - Healthcare Beyond Party Lines with Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung
Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung is an elected politician currently serving as a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives for the 15th district. In 2020, Barbara won the 15th district seat for Rhode Island’s House of Representatives against the speaker of the state house and, in so doing, became the first Rhode Islander to defeat a sitting speaker in 114 years and the first woman to represent her district. In the 2022 elections, Barbara emerged victorious in the Republican primary, gaining 92% of the vote after being challenged by Suzanne Downing. Barbara also serves as a physical therapist in addition to her legislative role at the Rhode Island House of Representatives and holds a Master of Science in Physical Therapy from Northeastern University.
Barbara joins me today to discuss how being a healthcare professional has shaped her perspective on socio-economic issues while being a Republican politician. She describes what she’s learned from running her first political campaign amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She explains why it’s important to bring an “investment mindset” to the Republican party when it comes to social and economic issues. She emphasizes the importance of being active in your local community and school committees. Barbara also highlights how the Republican and Democratic parties work together to address social and economic issues and underscores the unique skills women can bring as they run for public office.
“Divisiveness permeates a lot of issues, but healthcare is an area we can have a lot of bi-partisan efforts on.” - Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung
This week on Political Contessa:
Why Republicans in Rhode Island need to play a different game
Barbara’s experience running her first political campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic
The challenges and advantages of women in politics
Being the spouse of a local politician
How Barbara’s work in healthcare has shaped her perspective as a Republican politician
Having an investment mindset in social and economic issues
The willingness to help people take a different path in life
Tackling homelessness, drug abuse, healthcare, and crime beyond party lines
Talking about politics with a non-divisive approach
Getting involved in your local government and school committees
The pervasiveness of politics in our daily life
Barbara’s vision for her future in politics and why she believes in term limits
Related Episode:
Connect with Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung:
Awaken Your Inner Political Contessa
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Political Contessa. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
Spotify I Stitcher I Apple Podcasts I iHeart Radio I TuneIn I Google Podcasts
Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media. And if you’ve ever considered running for office – or know a woman who should – head over to politicalcontessa.com to grab my quick guide, Secrets from the Campaign Trail. It will show you five signs to tell you you’re ready to enter the political arena.
