Statement from Ellen R. Malcolm Congratulating Assemblywoman Laura Richardson on her Success in the California 37th District Special Primary

"Yesterday in California's 37th congressional district, voters chose a pro-choice Democratic woman to follow in the footsteps of the late Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, a trailblazer and courageous leader who died suddenly this past April.

EMILY's List congratulates Assemblywoman Laura Richardson on her success in winning this challenging primary. We are pleased that, after Richardson wins the run-off in August, Millender-McDonald's seat will remain in the hands of a pro-choice Democratic woman who will continue the legacy left by the late Congresswoman.

This special election was an unprecedented first for EMILY's List: a primary where the three front running candidates — Assemblywoman Laura Richardson, state Senator Jenny Oropeza, and Valerie McDonald—were all pro-choice Democratic women. This strong field of candidates demonstrates the progress our country, and California in particular, has made towards increasing the political power, representation, and influence of pro-choice Democratic women at all levels of government. Though the primary campaign is now over, we are sure that California has only begun to feel the impact of these outstanding women.

Assemblywoman Laura Richardson will be a strong voice for the voters of California's 37th district in the United States House of Representatives. She won her seat in the state Legislature last year after a heavily contested primary initiated by Oropeza's victory in the state Senate. She previously served as a member of the Long Beach City Council as well as Southern California director for Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante from 2001 to 2005. Rep. Richardson is the first African American woman to serve as Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore in the state Assembly.

We congratulate Assemblywoman Richardson and look forward to her success in the run-off on August 21st."

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