July 2004

WOMEN VOTE! reaches out to women voters in key battleground states

Herseth takes her seat in Congress

On June 1, EMILY's List banked its first official victory and added a new pro-choice Democratic woman to the U.S. Congress, when South Dakota attorney Stephanie Herseth defeated Republican Larry Diedrich in a special election for the state's at-large House seat.

Herseth's narrow victory came barely one month after EMILY's List candidate Allyson Schwartz defeated a well-funded opponent to win the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district. Because this was a special election, Herseth was sworn in Thursday, June 3, and immediately began serving the remainder of former U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow's term (Janklow resigned in January after being convicted of manslaughter). She is the first woman to represent South Dakota in the U.S. House and the 56th congresswoman EMILY's List has helped elect.

Herseth ran a positive campaign across this huge, Republican-leaning state, ultimately besting Diedrich by 3,005 votes out of more than 260,000 cast. She overcame several disadvantages: a GOP advantage of 45,000 in registered voters; steady fundraising support for her opponent from Republican VIPs like Vice President Dick Cheney, Bush political guru Karl Rove, and Florida Cong. Katherine Harris; relentless negative attacks, particularly for being pro-choice; and a media blitz of over $2 million from Republicans determined to hold onto this seat after sustaining an embarrassing loss in a Kentucky special election in February.

"EMILY's List played a key role in Stephanie's victory, as we did in Allyson Schwartz's," says Joe Solmonese, chief executive officer of EMILY's List. "Generous contributions from EMILY's List members helped Stephanie compete with GOP spending and communicate her positive message on education, job creation, and health care to South Dakotans." In addition to contributing directly to Herseth's campaign, EMILY's List members contributed $250,000 to a joint committee formed between EMILY's List and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to mobilize voters in 2004, including women and American Indian voters in South Dakota.

"EMILY's List was on the ground in the final days," notes Solmonese. Thirteen members of EMILY's List's staff took vacation time to volunteer to get out the vote for Herseth, along with eight staff whose salaries were contributed to the Herseth campaign as an in-kind donation.

Ultimately, all this work helped set a new record in South Dakota for turnout in a primary election (which coincided with the special), thanks in part to EMILY's List volunteers and staff, who campaigned tirelessly right up through election day. One EMILY's List "road warrior" filed the following report:

On Sunday morning the weather was apocalyptic: cold, rainy, driving winds. No one in their right mind would go door-to-door in that weather. But the EMILY's List team set the tone for all 60 Aberdeen volunteers by being the first ones out the door. South Dakotans thought we were out of our minds when they saw us standing on their stoops drenched to the bone, but voter after voter said they respected our enthusiasm.

The team was at it again Monday morning, putting out doorhangers to remind voters that the next day was election day. When it was too dark to canvass, Team EMILY worked into the night, organizing the election day routes and making dozens of signs for visibility. Every one of us was up at 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning and out the door by 5 a.m., going back to the Aberdeen precincts they'd hit Sunday and Monday.

Some of the team went back to Watertown, organizing the effort to canvass the top Democratic precincts. Others did polling place visibility in Aberdeen, then lit-dropped every house in Hecla, then spent the afternoon knocking one last time on the doors in Aberdeen. Team EMILY totally rocked and absolutely set the pace.

Herseth's victory is a great way to begin the campaign season, but, like Schwartz, she cannot afford to savor it: Diedrich is challenging her for a full term in November, a campaign that promises to be just as tough as the special election. Immediately after Herseth took her first vote in Congress, the National Republican Congressional Committee launched a negative attack against her. Democratic leaders placed Herseth on the "Frontline" list of most threatened members up for re-election and secured her a spot on the Agriculture Committee, which will help Herseth tend to her constituents' needs and bolster her case for re-election.

"And, of course, EMILY's List will continue to support Stephanie as she seeks a full term," adds Solmonese.

Candidates face summer primaries

EMILY's List is riding the momentum of these hard-fought victories in Pennsylvania and South Dakota as we work to elect pro-choice Democratic women who are locked in tough summer primaries. These include:

• In Florida, a hot presidential battleground, former Education Commissioner Betty Castor is running in an Aug. 31 U.S. Senate primary. Widely viewed as the strongest Democrat to hold this open Senate seat, Castor has led the primary field in poll after poll. But her well-funded opponents are spending massively to eliminate her lead.
• In Washington state, another presidential target, Attorney General Christine Gregoire is running for the Democratic nomination for governor in the Sept. 14 primary. Public polls show Gregoire leading the race for this open seat. Republicans have united behind an anti-choice, right-wing former state senator.
• In Wisconsin, state Sen. Gwen Moore is locked in a tough primary battle for an open, safely Democratic congressional seat in Milwaukee. Moore could be the first African American elected to Congress from Wisconsin. But even if she wins the Sept. 14 primary, she must continue a high-profile campaign: Republicans are expected to nominate an African-American male, and the Bush campaign has promised to be very active in an effort to co-opt the black vote and cut into Democrat John Kerry's base.
• In Oklahoma, attorney Kalyn Free, a member of the Choctaw Nation, faces the scion of an old Oklahoma political family in the July 27 primary for an open, safely Democratic House seat. If she wins, Free will be the first American Indian woman in Congress.

Reaching out to women voters

As candidates prepare to deliver their messages to voters, EMILY's List is launching our most important, targeted WOMEN VOTE! effort. Our efforts will be concentrated in states where pro-choice Democratic women are running and Democrats must win, including Florida, Missouri, Washington, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.

The EMILY's List Women's Monitor, which measured an 18-point gender gap in the presidential contest, shows that, nationally, women voters make up a solid majority of Democratic turnout targets and a critical segment of undecided voters, who are considered "persuadable" targets.

EMILY's List is uniquely positioned to help Democrats capitalize on this yawning gender gap. After nearly ten years of operation, EMILY's List WOMEN VOTE! has established a rich body of data and developed invaluable expertise in mobilizing women voters.

"We truly understand women voters," says Karen White, EMILY's List's national political director, who oversees the WOMEN VOTE! project. "We know they're not a monolith. We don't tell them what we think they should know, we ask them -- and then we turn that information into results for pro-choice Democratic women candidates and Democrats across the spectrum, as we've demonstrated again and again."

For the past 18 months, through polling and focus groups, EMILY's List has taken careful measure of the women voters who will be pivotal to Democratic success in the 2004 election. EMILY's List has pinpointed the issues that matter most to them and is reaching out to them now through a full-scale campaign that includes targeted telephone calls, persuasion mail, the Internet, and door-to-door canvassing.

Building a lasting connection

EMILY's List WOMEN VOTE! is using a variety of tools to establish connections with women voters that will last through Nov. 2.

"We're reaching out to targeted women in key states," says White. "Our voter targets are working women, single mothers, grandparents, day care providers. Some have school-aged kids and aging parents. Some are single and don't have children and feel really ignored by the political debate. But all of them are busy, and all of them are inundated by a vast array of information coming through their mailboxes, televisions, and computers."

EMILY's List WOMEN VOTE! has figured out how to cut through the clutter and reach these women voters with clear, useful, voter-friendly information about the issues and their choices.

"We're forming a lasting connection," says White, "and that's what's going to make the difference for women, and all Democrats, on election day."

Inform, Inspire, Involve

Now there's a place on the web where you can connect with others who are dedicated to changing the face of power in America.

It's called Team EMILY, and it's a new online community for EMILY's List members and supporters.

On TeamEMILY.org, you'll find the latest political news ... a weblog where our staff and special guests will highlight the best of the web specific to women in politics ... live updates from the Democratic National Convention and other important events ... and online chats with EMILY's List staff in the field throughout campaign season, right up through Nov. 2.

Team EMILY members will reach out to connect with others who want to help fulfill EMILY's List's mission of electing pro-choice Democratic women to office. Using monthly challenges and member-to-member interaction, Team EMILY puts the power of change into the hands of individual activists across the country.

Team members build a network of friends through the use of powerful tools on www.teamEMILY.org. After registering, Team members can participate in monthly action challenges, e-mail their friends using an online address book, share their personal stories, and talk with other Team members. We also encourage Team members to build their own blogs and make their voices heard throughout the Internet, on message boards and through other discussion forums.

Team EMILY includes pro-choice Democrats, women and men, young and old, from all walks of life. It's open to anyone who wants to get involved. All you need to do to join is go to www.teamemily.org, submit your e-mail address, and choose a password. Contributions made through Team EMILY count towards an EMILY's List membership, but no donations are required to join the Team.

Becoming a Team EMILY member has many advantages, the greatest of which is the part you play in helping to change the face of power in this country. Team EMILY turns the power of thousands of individuals into a collective force for change in American government.

As a member of Team EMILY, you can:

• Receive regular updates giving you an insider's view of the political scene, updating you on the hottest races in the country, and exposing the right-wing's agenda.
• Share your story with us -- we want to know how you got involved in progressive politics and what you're doing to advance progressive values.
• Tell us what you think -- about Team EMILY, what's happening in the world, and how we can move America forward. We're listening.
• Network with others who want to make democracy more vibrant and representative by electing more pro-choice Democratic women to office at every level of government.
• Participate in challenges that will help elect Democrats up and down the ticket on election day.
• Learn about the issues, EMILY's List candidates and political programs, and what else you can do to voice your opinion.

July's challenge, our first, is easy: help us get Team EMILY started! Visit www.teamemily.org and start to build your team by recruiting five dedicated friends or family members to help launch the Team EMILY network.

Help us change the face of power! Visit www.teamemily.org today and take action that will make a real difference.

Electing a new kind of Texan

POP program celebrates Texas victories

George W. Bush might find things in Texas are a little different when he moves back home for good in January 2005: pro-choice Democratic women are winning races that will make the political environment less hospitable to the good old boys of the GOP.

In House district 41, civil litigation attorney Veronica Gonzales ousted seven-term Rep. Roberto Gutierrez, a Democrat who frequently aligned himself with House Republicans, in a primary run-off April 13.

Gutierrez was targeted for defeat by his fellow Democrats after staying home while more than 50 of his colleagues fled the state in May 2003 to thwart Republican efforts to re-visit post-census redistricting. (U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay ended up using federal resources to try to track the recalcitrant Democrats, who had fled to Oklahoma.)

The state's Republican House Speaker, Tom Craddick, showed his gratitude for Gutierrez by hosting a fundraiser for the Democrat in February. Two months later, Gutierrez lost to Gonzales by a margin of more than two to one.

In the March 9 primary, Dr. Alma Allen defeated 27-year veteran Rep. Ron Wilson, another House Democrat who refused to join his colleagues' walk-out and voted in favor of the GOP redistricting plan. Allen, president of the National Association of State Boards of Education, won 56 percent of the vote.

And on May 15, Dr. Mae Jackson, a social worker and member of the Waco city council, triumphed over a crowded field to become mayor of Waco. Jackson, a longtime member of EMILY's List, was the only female and only candidate of color in the mayor's race.

Gonzales, Allen, and Jackson all received support from EMILY's List's Political Opportunity Program, which is dedicated to electing pro-choice Democratic women to state and local office. This amazing wave of victories in Texas started in December 2003, when Annise Parker won her race for city controller, the number two position in Houston. In addition to support from POP, Parker, an open lesbian, had staffers trained through Campaign Corps, EMILY's List's program to help recent college graduates establish careers in progressive politics.

EMILY's List's Deputy Political Director Britt Cocanour, who oversees POP, noted that POP collaborated closely with Annie's List, which is dedicated to electing more pro-choice Democratic women in Texas.

"This is proof that we are electing a new kind of Democrat in Texas," says Cocanour.

Candidate Spotlight: Christine Gregoire

Late last year, Republicans in Washington state filed a complaint with the state's Public Disclosure Commission, hoping to block EMILY's List members from supporting frontrunner Christine Gregoire's campaign for governor. But GOP leaders were dealt an embarrassing rebuke in May when the commission threw out their phony complaint. This cleared the path for EMILY's List members to help Gregoire become the state's first woman governor in almost 25 years -- a fitting accomplishment for a woman who has, according to the AP, made "a career of shattering glass ceilings."

One of the nation's most respected state attorneys general, Gregoire led negotiations between 46 states and the tobacco industry that resulted in a $206 billion settlement, the largest in history. Gregoire spoke with EMILY's List recently about her three terms as Washington's attorney general, her campaign for governor, and her state's history of electing women.

Republicans think they've got their first governor in 20 years. How seriously do you take Dino Rossi as a threat?

There's no question I take him seriously, particularly since we've been told that the Republicans have promised to spend $9 million. His coffers will be filled. He's portraying himself as a moderate and that's simply not the case, but with $9 million you can portray yourself as anything you want!

Rossi calls himself "a fiscal conservative with a social conscience." Is that a fair description?

Absolutely not. For example, he is clearly anti-choice but says that's not an issue for a governor to decide. Well, nothing could be further from the truth! He says he's shown how you can help those in need without raising taxes. But what he proposed as chair of the Ways and Means Committee to balance the budget was to cut health care coverage to 40,000 kids!

Your economic plan calls for a $1 billion investment in biotechnology research and development. Where does this come from?

At year 10 of the tobacco settlement, Washington state, because of our leadership, will get $500 million. I'm asking us to invest that in a life science discovery fund, to be matched by grants or private sector contributions, to amount to $1 billion. It's a huge investment in the health of our citizens, which is exactly where the tobacco money should go.

When you took on Big Tobacco, did you think you would win?

When I filed the suit I felt we had a good case -- but never did I anticipate that I would end up leading all the states and territories to the largest financial settlement in the world!

Okay, it's 2007...you've been governor for three years. Describe the state of Washington.

We clearly have the potential to create 250,000 jobs and, in the process, bring in enough revenue to reinvest in our people and meet the needs of the most vulnerable. That's what I think the governor's role ought to be and that's where I can take the state over the next three to four years -- so that Washington can feel good about itself again. We have tremendous quality of life, but it's been hurt terribly by this recession. We have allowed a decline in funding for education, health care, and basic infrastructure. So my goal is to get the economy up and running again and make Washington the envy of the nation.

How do you explain Washington state's amazing history of electing women?

I've always said it's our pioneering spirit. We're an independent lot in Washington state and, looking back on the days when we settled here, women did literally everything; they were great partners with their spouses and male counterparts in building the state. And that independent streak is there when we look at a candidate.

Who inspires you? Why?

[Arizona Gov.] Janet Napolitano -- because she's brilliant, she's tough, and she is doing great things in a state that has been traditionally Republican. She is a whale of a lot of fun, a great person, and I think the citizens of Arizona are very lucky.

How important has support from EMILY's List members been to your campaign?

Honestly, I don't know what we would have done without EMILY's List -- from the money, which obviously has been crucial, to the advice and counsel, which has been extremely important. It's one thing to run for attorney general, but this is a quantum leap above that, and EMILY's List has been there for us throughout. But frankly, it plain old feels wonderful to have that kind of support! I can't overstate as a candidate what it means to have contributions and notes from around the country, the "you go, girl" messages. It's inspiring and it gets you through your toughest days.

Right is Wrong

"It is one thing for a mother to work out of her home while her children are in school. It is quite another matter to have children in the home and live away in Sacramento for four days a week. Whereas the former could be in keeping with the spirit of Proverbs 31, the latter is sinful." -- The Rev. Ralph Drollinger, who leads weekly Bible study classes at the California state capitol (Los Angeles Times, 5/21/04)

"Some of these babes, I'm telling you, like the sexual harassment crowd. They're out there protesting what they actually wish would happen to them sometimes." - Rush Limbaugh, radio talk show host (The Rush Limbaugh Show, 4/26/04)

"I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You ever heard of the need to blow some steam off?" -- Limbaugh on the Abu Ghraib prison scandal (5/4/04)

"I think the reaction to the stupid torture is an example of the feminization of this country." -- Limbaugh on Abu Ghraib (5/5/04)

"The NAGs [National Association of Gals] don't represent the majority of female thought in this country, and they aren't -- they aren't determining who wins elections. White men are. And this is -- I'm not being sexist. This is just pure demographics." -- Limbaugh (6/14/04)

"When I listen to you, I get all the information I need." -- Mary Matalin, Bush-Cheney campaign advisor, to Rush Limbaugh (The Rush Limbaugh Show, 5/21/04)

"There's a bump, but how much of that is due to people taking the easy way out?" -- Eric Bost, U.S. Agriculture Department undersecretary for food and nutrition service, on increased demand for food stamps and other poverty programs (Canton (Ohio) Repository, 6/7/04)

"The best thing the FDA can do now for American women and their progeny is to take the next logical step and remove these pills from the market altogether." -- Judie Brown, president, American Life League, on the FDA's rejection of plans to make morning after pills available over the counter (American Life League press release, 5/7/04)

"And heterosexual men don't like to discuss it. They have to be on guard. They know these men are predators." -- The Rev. Lou Sheldon, chairman, Traditional Values Coalition, speaking generally about gay men (Washington Post, 5/20/04)

"But one factor that may have contributed -- but which I doubt investigators will want to even consider -- is whether the presence of women in the unit actually encouraged more misbehavior, especially of the sexual nature that the pictures reveal." -- Linda Chavez, columnist. Chavez was George W. Bush's original choice to be secretary of labor (Townhall.com, 5/5/04)

Additional sources include www.mediamatters.org, www.andrewsullivan.com

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