Week of April 15, 2004

On the Air with Schwartz and Herseth

With less than three weeks before the primary in Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district, State Senator Allyson Schwartz has launched a series of television ads in her campaign to win the Democratic nomination April 27. With help from EMILY's List members, Schwartz has been able to solidify her strong position in this race through her compelling ads. Heading into the final two weeks of the campaign, her ability to build a strong grassroots coalition and field operation will be critical to victory. 21st Century Democrats, one of the nation's largest Political Action Committees, announced that it has endorsed Schwartz and will help with that effort.

Last month, South Dakota Democratic House nominee Stephanie Herseth began running television ads to compete with the $1.5 million being spent against her by the National Republican Congressional Committee and her opponent, former GOP state Senator Larry Diedrich. Herseth maintains a healthy lead over Diedrich, according to a recent poll conducted by Rapid City Journal (conducted 3/27-28; 501 voters; margin of error of plus or minus 4.5%).

Campaign Corps Receives Best Response Rate to Date

Nearly 600 applications poured into the EMILY's List Campaign Corps office this week as the deadline closed for the Class of 2004. Denise Feriozzi, Campaign Corps recruiter, commented on the size of the response saying: "We have applicants from 43 states, including the District of Columbia." Only 40 out of the 581 candidates will be chosen to participate in the grassroots program, which includes an intense week-long Campaign School and targeted placement in a paid position with a progressive Democratic candidate for the last three months of the 2004 campaign.

To expand its outreach, Campaign Corps held five mini-camps across the country. A two-day version of campaign school, the mini-camps train about 50 students. Participants have a chance to meet the Campaign Corps staff and learn basic campaign skills like voter targeting, field organizing, fundraising, and press strategy. "Participating in a mini-camp gives students a chance to see what we're all about, and get a leg up on admission to the full Campaign Corps program in the summer," says Feriozzi. At a recent mini-camp in Austin, TX, participants gained fundraising and advertising skills by creating their own TV spots for various campaigns.

In addition to mini-camps, applications came from alumni recruiting, campus job fairs, and EMILY's List members.

EMILY's List is strongly committed to bringing young people into politics. Since its launch, Campaign Corps has placed staffers on some of the most important political campaigns in the country, providing young activists with the first step into a career dedicated to progressive politics. For more information, visit www.campaigncorps.org.

FL-Sen: Mel Martinez in the Hot Seat/Castor in the Lead

More information has come out about Republican Senate candidate Mel Martinez's taxpayer-funded trips to Florida as George W. Bush's HUD secretary. The Washington Post reported on April 1 that nearly half - 48 percent - of all Martinez's domestic travel in 2003 was to Florida. Additionally, The St. Petersburg Times reports that Martinez used his cell phone to call Florida 170 times within the two months before deciding to run.

On the Democratic side of this contested race for an open Senate seat, EMILY's List candidate Betty Castor demonstrated her strength reporting a first quarter FEC filing of $1.2 million - more than any of her primary competitors. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee confirmed that her totals put Castor in "the top tier for fundraising by Senate challengers in the nation." In a recent poll conducted by The Orlando Sentinel, Castor was reported to have a 33%-16% lead over Rep. Peter Deutsch (conducted 3/30-31; 501 voters; margin of error of plus or minus 4.5%).

Pioneering activist and feminist Millie Jeffrey dies

After an extensive and accomplished career in social justice activism, Mildred McWilliams ("Millie") Jeffrey died Wednesday, March 24, in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan. She was 93 years old.

Born in 1910, Jeffrey spent her lifetime working to ensure fairness for workers, minorities, and women. She began her career in the labor movement and, in 1944, became the director of the newly formed United Auto Workers Women's Bureau. Jeffrey's passion for justice and equality led her to the NAACP, where she marched with Dr. Martin Luther King during the 1960s.

In 1971, Jeffrey co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus, where she became an inspiration and role model to a generation of feminists. "Millie's organizing skills and vast knowledge were critical to us as we were forming EMILY's List in 1985," says Ellen R. Malcolm, president of EMILY's List. "Her dedication helped make possible the careers of just about every woman who holds office today." Jeffrey saw her work come to fruition in recent years, when EMILY's List candidates Jennifer Granholm and Debbie Stabenow became the first woman governor and U.S. senator (respectively) from her home state of Michigan.

Jeffrey's contributions were honored in August 2000, when President Clinton awarded her the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award bestowed by the United States government. Her resilient leadership and unwavering dedication to social justice make her one of the most extraordinary women leaders of our time. Malcolm noted that Millie "went out full of irreverence and determination. She was quite some woman and I'll miss her. But what a legacy she left."

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