• Press Release

EMILYs List Endorses Cary Kennedy for Governor of Colorado

June 7, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, endorsed former State Treasurer Cary Kennedy for governor of Colorado. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List, released the following statement:

“We are proud to join Cary Kennedy in her race for governor of Colorado as she fights for good jobs, strong schools, and all that is wonderful about the Centennial State. A progressive leader and fighter for the people of her beloved state, Cary puts Colorado first – and we could not be more thrilled to stand with her in this fight.”

“Cary brings with her a record of strong leadership on behalf of the people of Colorado. As state treasurer, Cary was directly responsible for helping make Colorado one of the fastest-growing economies in the United States. A fierce advocate for Colorado’s environment and its many natural beauties, Cary has also proved herself as a champion for Colorado students and their families by working to renovate school buildings, and protecting schools from Republicans’ devastating budget cuts.”

“Colorado has a long history of strong women’s leadership, but has never before elected a woman as governor. Cary will not only break through that glass ceiling, but will bring all Coloradans with her.”

Cary Kennedy is running for governor of Colorado, the state where she grew up, raised her family, and dedicated her career to serving. Cary’s mother, a social worker, served hundreds of Denver’s most vulnerable children and families, and taught Cary the importance of supporting the members of their community in times of need. Raised with three brothers and sisters who joined her family through the foster care program and a sister who joined her family through a faith-based organization, Cary saw the power of giving children the opportunity to succeed — inspiring her exceptional career of service. Cary is dedicated to leading Colorado forward and ensuring that all its working families have a fair shot, all its students have the opportunity to thrive, and that its unique and precious natural resources continue to enrich the lives of all Coloradans for generations to come. As Colorado state treasurer and then as Denver’s deputy mayor and chief financial officer, Cary has fought to make Coloradans’ government effective, efficient, and transparent — always putting working families first. As governor, she will lead Colorado’s government to be as resourceful as its people. The Denver Post has called Cary “one of the best and brightest in the policy world,” and as governor she will tackle Colorado’s toughest problems with the innovative policy solutions she’s known for creating. Cary lives in Denver with her husband and two children, and works tirelessly to expand opportunity for all in Colorado, the state she loves and is proud to call home.

Throughout Cary’s outstanding career of service, she has always put Colorado’s working families first. As state treasurer, she ended risky Wall Street investments before the Great Recession. During the worst economy in more than 50 years, she successfully managed Colorado’s $6 billion in assets — fighting on behalf of taxpayers to ensure that Colorado’s investments in its future continued to grow at a time when many other states lost money and saw their credit ratings decline. Cary has made Colorado’s government more transparent and accountable to the people it serves, launching the Colorado Tax Tracks website, and she served on the Colorado Economic Recovery Accountability Board, working to ensure that Colorado emerged from the recession stronger than ever. Under Cary’s leadership, Denver was recognized as one of the best financially run cities and the best city in the country to do business. As governor, she will lead Colorado forward and expand economic opportunity for all working families. Cary is a fierce champion for all Colorado students, and led the effort to repair and replace aging school buildings throughout Colorado with no new or increased state taxes — and she fought to protect education funding from dangerous attempts to divert it from schools. As a hiker who, like so many Coloradans, loves having the Rocky Mountains for a backyard, Cary is committed to protecting the environment that attracts so many new residents and visitors while ensuring the state’s economy gives everyone the opportunity to thrive. Under her leadership, Colorado will continue to innovate and show the world what it is to build a renewable energy economy. Cary has built regional partnerships and promoted collaborative problem-solving throughout her career, and as governor, she will continue to bring people together to ensure that every Coloradan can benefit from the state’s progress.

EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has raised over $500 million to support pro-choice Democratic women candidates – making them one of the most successful political organizations ever. Our grassroots community of over five million members helps Democratic women wage competitive campaigns – and win. We recruit and train candidates, support strong campaigns, research the issues that impact women and families, and turn out women voters. Since our founding in 1985, we have trained over 9,000 women to run and helped elect 116 women to the House, 23 to the Senate, 12 governors, and over 800 to state and local office. Forty percent of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color – including every single Latina, African American, and Asian American Democratic congresswoman currently serving.