EMILY's List Announces Endorsement of Joan Buchanan in California's 10th Congressional District

WASHINGTON, D.C. – EMILY's List, the nation's largest financial resource for women candidates, today announced its endorsement of Joan Buchanan in the special election to replace former Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher in California's 10th congressional district. Tauscher was recently confirmed as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security in the Obama administration.

"Joan Buchanan is an effective leader with proven experience in both the public and private sector," said Ellen R. Malcolm, president of EMILY’s List. "She has a strong record of fiscal responsibility and success in progressive public policy. In the state assembly, school board and boardroom alike, Joan has consistently taken on tough situations and turned them around. EMILY's List is proud to endorse Joan Buchanan to replace Ellen Tauscher in the special election for California's 10th congressional district."

Throughout her career, Joan has always been a strong voice for fiscal responsibility. Prior to her work in the State Assembly, Joan worked at Delta Dental, where she was one of the fastest rising women in the company eventually becoming Director of Commercial Operations. In that senior position, Joan worked to cut costs and improve the quality of care for customers.

"I am honored to have earned the EMILY’s List endorsement," said Buchanan. "Their members' support from California and all over the country will help me communicate my message and turn out our targeted voters on Election Day."

Joan left the business world to raise her five children and quickly became a prominent member of her community serving on the San Ramon Valley School Board for twenty years, including four terms as its president. Under her leadership, the San Ramon Valley School district achieved a 94% college attendance rate amongst students and ranked among the top 5% of all school districts in California. When Joan left the school board in 2008, the district had built an $11 million rainy day fund—a significant turnaround from the district's $7 million deficit when Buchanan was first elected.

EMILY's List is the nation's largest financial resource for women candidates. In the 2007-2008 cycle, EMILY's List raised more than $43 million to support its mission of recruiting and supporting women candidates, helping them build strong campaigns, and mobilizing women voters to turn out and vote. With more than 100,000 members across the country, EMILY's List is one of the largest political action committees in the nation. Since its founding in 1985, EMILY's List has worked to elect 80 pro-choice Democratic women to the U.S. House, 15 to the U.S. Senate, nine governors, and hundreds of women to the state legislatures, state constitutional offices, and other key local offices.