EMILY's List Announces Endorsement of Christine Jennings in Florida's 13th Congressional District

Washington, D.C. -- EMILY's List, the nation's largest financial resource for women running for elective office, today announced its endorsement of Christine Jennings in her bid for Florida's 13th congressional district.

"Christine Jennings has already earned the trust of the voters in this district and demonstrated her ability to lead and win," said Ellen R. Malcolm, president of EMILY's List. "She will fight to protect our national security, ensure our financial security, and invest in securing a better future for our families in 2008. EMILY's List is proud to renew our support for Christine Jennings in Florida's 13th congressional district."

Jennings is a trailblazer with a history of community involvement and an extensive background in business and finance. At a time when women executives were rare, she worked her way up from bank teller to president, ultimately founding a community bank and serving as its CEO, president, and board chair. During her 40-year career as a banker, Jennings made a priority of reaching out to underserved communities and bringing economic development and jobs to Sarasota. Jennings's dedication to building a vibrant local economy has created a deep reservoir of good will that transcends party lines.

Christine Jennings found a way to turn her 2006 loss into a victory for the voters of this district by becoming a champion of election reform. Last year, Buchanan was declared the winner over Jennings by just 369 votes after faulty touch-screen voting machines caused 18,000 missing "undervotes" in the district's heavily Democratic area. Jennings spearheaded an effort along with Sarasota County residents to return to paper ballots, ensuring that their votes are counted in 2008. Since the disputed election, the state of Florida has instituted a statewide ban of the touch-screen voting machines that were used in Sarasota County.

With more than 100,000 members across the country, EMILY's List is the largest political action committee in the nation. Since its founding in 1985, EMILY's List has raised over $240 million and helped elect 68 pro-choice Democratic women to the U.S. House, 13 to the U.S. Senate, and eight governors. Over the course of 22 years, EMILY's List has helped elect hundreds of pro-choice Democratic women to federal office, state legislatures, state constitutional offices, and other key local offices.

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