The Marin Women's Political Action Committee has grown from about 25 members five years ago to more than 200 today, with San Rafael resident Laurel Druke now serving as its president. The expansion comes as Marin County heads toward its Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election.

The organization also doubled its investment in women's elections in 2026, according to a profile published by Dominican University. The profile did not disclose specific dollar amounts.

The growth showed at MWPAC's September endorsement nights. The group posted on Instagram that 77 members attended the first session and 63 the second, with 43 candidates taking part. The organization said its endorsement evaluates candidates on women's health, reproductive rights and equal representation. Each endorsed candidate must win a majority of votes cast by members present.

"I came to realize that while I might not be able to influence or change anything on a national or state level, I could do a lot of good in Marin to improve the lives of those around me," Druke said in the Dominican profile.

Druke earned a double major in political science and business administration at Dominican. She re-launched the Marin County Young Democrats as a student and interned with the Democratic Central Committee of Marin. She later earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco.

In her day job, Druke serves as vice president of finance at North Bay Children's Center (NBCC), managing a $20 million budget. The nonprofit provides childcare and early education to more than 700 children across 14 locations. Nearly 75 percent of NBCC's families live below the poverty line, according to North Bay Biz. Druke has also been a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor since 2021.

At MWPAC, Druke credited mentors including Cathryn Hilliard of the Southern Marin Fire Protection District with shaping her approach. Druke became vice president about three years ago and was first elected MWPAC president in 2024.

The Marin County general election includes races across all 11 incorporated cities and towns, the county Board of Education, Marin Community College District, 16 school districts and numerous special districts.