EMILY's List

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the American organisation. For the Australian organisation, see EMILY's List Australia.
 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2010)
EMILY's List
Formation 1985
Membership 2,000,000+
Website EMILYsList.org

EMILY's List is a political action committee (PAC) in the United States that aims to help elect pro-choice Democratic female candidates to office.[1] It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985.[2]

The name EMILY's List is an acronym for "Early Money Is Like Yeast" (i.e., it raises dough).[3] The saying is a reference to a convention of political fundraising: that receiving lots of donations early in a race is helpful in attracting other, later donors.

EMILY's List is the nation’s largest resource for women in politics. With more than 2 million members, it is one of the largest political action committees (PAC) in the United States.

EMILY’s List political staff helps candidates build campaigns by providing technical support, raising money for and making financial contributions to the campaigns of pro-choice Democratic women running in targeted races.[4]

Since its founding in 1985, EMILY's List has worked to elect 100 pro-choice Democratic women to the House, 19 to the Senate, 10 governors, and over five hundred women to state and local office.[5]

Contents

History [edit]

EMILY's List was founded in 1985, when 25 women met in the home of Ellen Malcolm. Their goal was to form a network to raise money for pro-choice female candidates. The network was designed to provide its members with information about candidates and encourage them to write checks directly to the candidates. In 1986, EMILY's List was instrumental in electing Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, the first woman Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in her own right.[6]

In 2005, EMILY's List celebrated its 20th Anniversary at a gala in Washington, D.C. Speakers included then-newly elected Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI), Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD), and Governor Jennifer Granholm (MI). Also in 2005, Ellen Moran took office as executive director for the second time to head the nation's largest political action committee, before becoming Barack Obama's communications director in November 2008.

In 2006, the group helped elect eight new pro-choice Democratic women to the U.S. House, aiding in the second largest increase in history at that time. The re-election of all female Senate incumbents and the addition of Sen. Claire McCaskill and Sen Amy Klobuchar brought the number of women in the Senate to a new high of 16.[7] For the 2006 election, EMILY's List raised about $46 million for candidates in the 2006 contests and it is listed as the biggest PAC in the nation by Political Money Line, an independent source of information about campaign fund-raising.[8]

On January 20, 2007, EMILY's List endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. The endorsement came within hours of Senator Clinton's announcement that she was forming an exploratory committee to run for president.

During the Democratic presidential primaries, when pro-choice organization NARAL endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton, EMILY's List was strongly critical. President Ellen R. Malcolm said, “I think it is tremendously disrespectful to Sen. Clinton - who held up the nomination of a FDA commissioner in order to force approval of Plan B and who spoke so eloquently during the Supreme Court nomination about the importance of protecting Roe vs. Wade - to not give her the courtesy to finish the final three weeks of the primary process. It certainly must be disconcerting for elected leaders who stand up for reproductive rights and expect the choice community will stand with them.”[9]

After the conclusion of the democratic Presidential primary, EMILY's List moved their support to Barack Obama and was vocal in their protest of the McCain/Palin ticket.

The 2008 cycle was the second most successful cycle in EMILY's List history, second only to 1992's "The year of the woman". The PAC helped elect two new female senators, Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, and supported the election of Gov. Bev Perdue of North Carolina, the re-election of Gov. Christine Gregoire of Washington, and the successful elections of twelve new women to the United States House of Representatives.[10]

Stephanie Schriock took over as President of EMILY’s List in 2010. Schriock previously managed the races of Sen. Al Franken in 2008 and Sen. Jon Tester in 2006.She was also Finance Director for Howard Dean’s 2004 Presidential campaign.

During the 2012 election cycle, EMILY’s List raised $52 million – the most in the organization’s history. It also helped elect a record number of candidates[11] – helping bring the number of women in the Senate to an all-time high of 20 (16D, 4R).[12]

During the 2012 election cycle, EMILY’s List helped elect Maggie Hassan (D-NH) the only pro-choice Democratic woman governor in the country, 19 new women to the House, six Senate incumbents, and three new Senators [13]– Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.),[14] Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.),[15] and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).[16] All three are the first women to represent their states in the Senate.[17] Baldwin is the first openly gay Senator in American history.[18]

2012 Endorsements [edit]

Current endorsements, of pro-choice Democratic women, made by EMILY's List.[19]

Recommended Candidates [edit]

On the List [edit]

Successful EMILY's List Candidates [edit]

Successful EMILY’s List federal and statewide candidates include:[20]

* currently serving in higher office ** no longer in office *** deceased

Governors (10) [edit]

Arizona

Delaware

Kansas

Michigan

New Hampshire

North Carolina

Oregon

Texas

Washington

United States Senate (19) [edit]

Arkansas

California

Hawai'i

Illinois

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

New York

New Hampshire

North Carolina

Washington

Wisconsin

United States House of Representatives (100) [edit]

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Florida

Georgia

Hawai'i

Illinois

Indiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Dakota

Texas

Utah

Virginia

Washington

Washington, DC

Wisconsin

Programs [edit]

Over its 28-year history, EMILY’s List has expanded its scope to anticipate shifts in the way campaigns are run and to meet the needs of a changing political landscape — developing new programs to help women win.

Political Opportunity Program [edit]

The Political Opportunity Program (POP) was established in 2001 to develop the next generation of pro-choice Democratic women political leaders by investing in candidates at the state and local levels. POP targets its resources toward pro-choice Democratic women running for state legislatures, state constitutional offices, and key local offices. POP provides training for candidates, and technical assistance and financial support to campaigns.[21]

WOMEN VOTE! [edit]

WOMEN VOTE! is EMILY’s List’s independent expenditure arm which works to educate and mobilize women voters on behalf of pro-choice Democratic women candidates and Democrats up and down the ballot. The EMILY's List WOMEN VOTE! project combines polling and research, sophisticated message testing, the latest innovations in data and technology as well as good old-fashioned voter contact to mobilize millions of women voters across the country.

In 2012, EMILY’s List had the largest, most successful WOMEN VOTE! program in the organization’s history. WOMEN VOTE! mobilized women voters in 22 races and 17 states with 4.7 million mail pieces, 20 unique TV ads, over 148 million online impressions to targeted women voters. WOMEN VOTE! had a near-perfect success rate during our primary season and won 17 of the 19 races decided on November 6.[22]

Similar groups [edit]

Similar groups have formed along the same lines as EMILY's List, with some slight variations. The Wish List supports pro-choice Republican women. In 1994, Joan Kirner created a similar organization in Australia by the name EMILY's List Australia.

On the other side of the abortion debate, the Susan B. Anthony List, pro-life PAC, supports pro-life women and is seen as the pro-life counterpart to EMILY's List.[23]

Further reading [edit]

  • Women and the Democratic Party: The Evolution of Emily's List by Jamie Pamelia Pimlott (Cambria Press; 2010) 209 pages; the history from 1985 through the 2008 elections.

References [edit]

  1. ^ EMILY's List: Our Mission
  2. ^ "EMILY's List History". 
  3. ^ Emily's List official FAQ, question 1.
  4. ^ "EMILY's List Mission". 
  5. ^ "EMILY's List: Women We Helped Elect". 
  6. ^ Pimlott (2010)
  7. ^ "Democratic Women Reach Historic Heights in Congress" (Press release). EMILY's List. November 13, 2006. Retrieved 2010-12-24. 
  8. ^ "Sweet column: Hillary Clinton gets key endorsement for 2008 bid". Chicago Sun-Times. 
  9. ^ EMILY's List Trashes NARAL for Obama Endorsement | The New York Observer
  10. ^ Pimlott (2010)
  11. ^ "EMILY's List Press Release". 
  12. ^ "Center for American Women and Politics". 
  13. ^ "EMILY's List Press Release". 
  14. ^ "EMILY's List Congratulations Elizabeth Warren". 
  15. ^ "EMILY's List Congratulations Tammy Baldwin". 
  16. ^ "EMILY's List Congratulations Mazie Hirono". 
  17. ^ "EMILY's List Press Release". 
  18. ^ Terkel, Amanda. "Tammy Baldwin Sworn In To Senate, Becomes First Openly Gay Senator". 
  19. ^ https://emilyslist.org/what/candidates
  20. ^ "Women We Helped Elect". 
  21. ^ "EMILY's List Political Opportunity Program". 
  22. ^ "EMILY's List WOMEN VOTE!". 
  23. ^ Sarah Palin issues a call to action to 'mama grizzlies'

External links [edit]

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=EMILY%27s_List&oldid=555607315"