About to turn 60, Kamala Harris represents a new generation. Local women like the sound of that.

For 64-year-old independent voter Sarah Doheny, Vice President Kamala Harris’ run for president is additional proof women of a certain age can ascend — politically, personally, and professionally. “Harris doesn’t speak for us, she speaks to us,” Doheny said. “She tells us we are still bankable.”

Lifelong Republican Michelle Mattus, 49, is certainly not a fan of Harris’ politics, but she “likes seeing older women on the world’s stage pursuing their power,” especially as Mattus, a campaign organizer for Pennsylvania House candidate Rob Bresnahan, creeps up on 50.

And 32-year-old Nia Bailey, a Democrat, says women are never too old to live their best lives. “All of my life I’ve seen women do what they want,” Bailey said. “Harris shows us that women can blossom at any age.”

When she replaced 81-year-old President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee for president, launching a grueling contest against former President Donald Trump, Harris, at 59, was touted as the younger, fresher, more vibrant candidate. Now, a month before the election, women — this election’s most crucial and decisive voting bloc — are pondering the impact Harris’ candidacy is having on how women over 45 are seen in the world.

And they are excited.

“As Gen Xers enter that [over 50] age bracket that has been so burdened with problems of sexism, invisibility, and dismissal, Harris is possibly emerging as the blueprint to how women deal with this period in their lives,” said Nancy Hirschmann, the Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought at the University of Pennsylvania.

Trump’s sexual harassment allegations, his appointment of conservative Supreme Court justices who reversed Roe v. Wade, and his choice for VP running mate who said “postmenopausal females” are only good for raising children, have left him untenable for many American women.

Harris — who will turn 60 on Oct. 20 — represents a generation of women who leaned into their femininity, advocated for women’s rights, and never had any intent of starting their descent into the rocking chair on their 40th, 50th, or 60th birthdays. For these women, 60 is the new 40. Many see Harris on the ballot as a victory for baby boomers who laid the groundwork for a generation of girl bosses, and it’s the reason young millennials and Gen X women aren’t as afraid of aging as their grandmothers, mothers, and aunties. Harris’ laugh is joyful, her spirit is youthful, and she oozes the optimism and possibility that today are as much a sign of youth as a mark of wisdom and assurance.

“Harris will be more than the first woman president, she will represent a collective shift in thinking,” said Jennifer Lynn Robinson, a 51-year-old public speaker and influencer who lives in Ardmore and is a Democrat. “Already more women are thinking, ‘Wow, if she can do this at 60, then why can’t I run the Philadelphia Marathon or make an inaugural run for Congress in Pennsylvania;’ she’s inspiring older women to try and reach for goals they may not otherwise [try to] reach.”

Harris is walking a delicate line. She’s a proud woman and mom. Yet, she doesn’t frame her candidacy around gender but issues that impact women: reproductive choice, inflation, and health care. “You may recall that Hillary Clinton kept pointing to the fact that she was breaking the glass ceiling and that rubbed a lot of people — especially older women — the wrong way,” said Robin Kolodny, a Temple University professor of political science.

“It’s important that women voters don’t feel like Harris treats them as a monolith; this is not 20 or even 15 years ago. There is a general acceptance of women in positions of power. Women in Harris’ generation have benefitted from the women who came before them — like Shirley Chisholm, Geraldine Ferraro, and Hillary Clinton. They continue to break glass ceilings and are hitting their stride with enough time left on the clock.”

Born in 1964 right on the cusp of Gen X, Harris was in her mid-20s when she began her law career in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. At 40, she was elected San Francisco district attorney, and she was elected California’s attorney general when she was 47. In 2017, when she was 53, she replaced Barbara Boxer as a U.S. senator, making her the second Black woman and first Asian woman to take the job.

“Harris is amazing,” said Carie Brescia, a 53-year-old Democrat and QVC personality and the face of Cuddl-Duds. “She doesn’t have to throw her gender around because she’s been around the political machine for her entire storied career. But we know she gets it.” Brescia started her career as a professional makeup artist and transitioned to QVC when she was in her early 40s. “Sometimes I feel like I’ve just come into myself,” Brescia said. “Seeing a woman like Harris chips away at ageism. We can stop worrying about being too old and just concentrate on getting better.”

Harris’ unconventional rise to presidential nominee is a lesson in faith for 56-year-old Linda Collins, also a Democrat. Collins, a grandmother in West Philly, works in customer service and is toying with the idea of starting a nonprofit to help postpartum women. She’s inspired by Harris’ career path.

“When Biden stepped down, she could have said, ‘No, No, No, I’m not ready,’” Collins said. “What I love about her and what I want people to realize is that if we stand tall, step into our roles, and put our fears behind us at 50, 55, or 60, people will support you.”

Trump vs. Harris represents an ideological shift similar to the 1992 race between World War II veteran George H.W. Bush and former hippie Bill Clinton and the 2008 contest between child of the Great Depression John McCain and child of the civil rights movement Barack Obama, said Temple University director of social work Philip McCallion.

“Similar to both elections, the [Democratic] candidates represent generations that are much younger and reflect a different set of values,” McCallion said. “Added to that mix [this year] are discussions about race, gender, ageism, and ethnicity. We are at a time when many things are happening at a rapid succession. The decisions we make won’t just impact the now, [they have the potential to be what is] ‘normal’ in our country in the next eight, 10, or 15 years.”

Harris’ campaign embodies the stark stakes of this election for women’s continued independence and freedom. When Harris was born, women could not apply for credit in their own names. Harris came of age at a time when women could have their own credit cards and apply for mortgages. They could have access to birth control and have legal abortions. Harris’ generation of women is among the most college-educated, adding to the ranks of women doctors and lawyers, politicians and scientists, professors and media professionals.

Some women say because of all those advancements, a potential Harris presidency is not remarkable.

“The days of the forgotten older women are over,” said Doreen McGettigan, a 65-year-old author and Republican who lives in Upland, Pa. “I speak to my daughters and granddaughters and they don’t see gender as an issue at all. They don’t worry about getting older. What inspires me is that the best person and the most qualified candidate gets the job. We can pretend all we want that Harris is qualified for the job, but she’s just not.”

But others say it’s exactly what’s at stake in this election.

“We need Harris to win,” said Margie Goodwin, 66, a Democrat and retired high school principal. “Just by being there, she will tell women it’s OK for them to be consistently and authentically themselves, and that speaks volumes to women of all ages.”