WHY 2012: Houston Conference
Last weekend, EMILY’s List held its WHY 2012 Majority Council conference in Houston, Texas, the first in a series of regional conferences with events in Chicago, San Francisco, and New York coming soon. These conferences give attendees a chance to hear from EMILY’s List staff and candidates and find out more about this historic year for women.
Briefings led by senior staff members from EMILY’s List, including political director Jonathan Parker and WOMEN VOTE! director Denise Feriozzi, provided attendees with insight on why 2012 is such an important year, the incredible number of women running for office across the country, and what EMILY’s List is doing to help them. As EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock put it, “At EMILY’s List, we’ve got the know-how, and we’ve got the team [and] we’ve certainly got the candidates!”
Elected officials from the state of Texas including Mayor of Houston Annise Parker, Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, Texas state Senator Wendy Davis, and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee were joined by a number of EMILY’s List candidates from across the country -- Congresswoman Betty Sutton of Ohio; Kyrsten Sinema, running for Congress in Arizona; Michelle Lujan Grisham, running for Congress in New Mexico; Val Demings, running for Congress in Florida; and Susan Bysiewicz, running for U.S. Senate in Connecticut.
These women shared advice and personal stories from their own experiences running for office, the challenges they faced, and how EMILY’s List has stood by them.
Read some tweets from attendees, and check out our slideshow of pictures below to see photos from this incredible conference.
Yes! @emilyslist @anniseparker we need to see more women candidates at all levels! I want to see it happen here in #Miami ASAP
— Vanessa Christiansen (@vnsschrstnsn) April 30, 2012
“@emilyslist: Moving story from @kyrstensinema about overcoming the challenges of running for office as a young woman.” Love @kyrstensinema
— Karyn Lathan (@KarynforAzHouse) April 30, 2012
Could 2012 surpass 1992 as the year of the woman? ~ City Councilwoman Sylvia Garcia @emilyslist
— Jackie Mintz (@jemintz) April 30, 2012
"People don't want government on their backs, but they do want it on their side" Congresswoman Betty Sutton @emilyslist
— Jackie Mintz (@jemintz) April 30, 2012
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