For Immediate Release
Nov 4, 2004

EMILY's List Election 2004 Update

We are still tracking races and counting votes here at EMILY's List, and drawing strength from the election of five new women to the U.S. House of Representatives. While some may say there is a cloud over the Democrats, there was a significant silver lining for women candidates in this cycle. Though we suffered some defeats, our women ran stronger and more competitive races than ever before and many were victorious. Some of the highlights for us in this election cycle include:

  • Five of the eight new women added to the US House of Representatives were supported by EMILY's List including:
    • Melissa Bean (IL-8), one of only two Democrats who successfully challenged Republican incumbents;
    • Gwen Moore (WI-4), the first African-American elected to Congress from Wisconsin;
    • Allyson Schwartz (PA-13), who won one of the most competitive races in the country. Allyson raised more money than any non-incumbent House candidate this cycle.
    • Debbie Wasserman Shultz (FL-20), who clinched her seat in Congress from a safe Democratic seat; and
    • Stephanie Herseth (SD-AL), elected to a full term four months after winning a special election.
  • The re-election of every EMILY's List incumbent, including Senators Patty Murray, Barbara Boxer, and Barbara Mikulski, Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, and 36 congresswomen.
  • EMILY's list also helped elect as many as 140 women last night through our Political Opportunity Program, which is creating the next generation of women candidates at the state and local level.

EMILY's List broke all its previous records in terms of participation and fundraising. Just days before the 2004 election, we hit a new high of more than 100,000 contributing members across the country, and we still stand as the nation's largest political action committee. We advanced our mission of electing pro-choice Democratic women to federal, state, and local office by recruiting and funding viable women candidates; helping them build and run effective campaign organizations; and mobilizing women voters to help elect progressive candidates across the nation.

Nationally, EMILY's List members made more than 109,000 individual contributions to EMILY's List candidates. With an average contribution of just $98, EMILY's List members contributed approximately $10.6 million to EMILY's List candidates around the country.

In its 19-year history, EMILY's List has helped elect 60 women to the U.S. House of Representatives, 11 women to the United States Senate, and seven women governors.

Next year, EMILY's List will celebrate its 20th anniversary -- a landmark year in which we will reflect on the accomplishments of the past two decades and look to building a future for pro-choice Democratic women in politics.