EMILY's List
EMILY's List is a political action committee (PAC) existing in the United States and in Australia for female candidates. It was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985.
The goal of EMILY's List is to raise money for female candidates who are Pro-Choice with respect to abortion rights and are members of the United States Democratic Party or the Australian Labor Party. The name EMILY's List is an acronym for "Early Money Is Like Yeast," from the common political saying, "Early money is like yeast, because it makes the dough rise."
The saying is a reference to a convention of political fundraising: That receiving lots of donations early in a race is the most helpful time to get them, since they scare off challengers and help attract other, later donors.
History
EMILY's List was founded in 1985, when 25 women met in the home Ellen Malcolm. Their goal was to form a network to raise money for pro-choice Democratic women candidates. The network was designed to provide its members with information about candidates and encourage them to write checks directly to the candidates.
In 1986 EMILY's List was instrumental in electing Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, the first Democratic woman elected to the US Senate in her own right.
Joan Kirner, an Australian Labor Party leader, established an affiliate in 1994 with the aim to see 45% female membership in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Since its founding, the organization has helped elect 61 pro-choice Democratic women members of Congress, 11 senators, 8 governors, and 216 women to state and local office.
External link
 | This article about politics is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |