For Immediate Release
Feb 23, 2010
EMILY's List Endorses Karen Bass in California's 33rd Congressional District
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- EMILY's List, the nation's largest financial resource for women candidates, today announced its endorsement of Karen Bass in California's 33rd Congressional District. Congresswoman Diane Watson recently announced her retirement after four terms. EMILY's List's support was crucial in electing Watson in a multi-candidate special election in 2001.
"While we are sorry to see Diane Watson retire, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to support Karen Bass for U.S. Congress," said Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY's List. "Karen has been an innovative Speaker of the Assembly in California. In the legislature, Karen has been a champion for better schools and health care reform. Under her leadership, the Assembly has worked to jumpstart projects that are stimulating California's economy. EMILY's List is proud to endorse Karen Bass for Congress."
"When I became Speaker of the California State Assembly -- the first African-American woman elected to such a post in any state -- I was only there because I stood on the shoulders of others, especially all the women who had for so long fought and sacrificed for civil rights and equal rights," said Bass. "EMILY's List has added another dimension to furthering the cause of equality: leading the effort to elect women to office. I'm extremely honored to have earned EMILY's List support, and my campaign for Congress is strengthened tremendously as a result."
In 2008, Assemblywoman Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) was sworn in as the 67th Speaker of the California Assembly -- the first African American woman to serve as Speaker of any state Assembly and the first Democratic woman to hold this prestigious role in California. Prior to her career in elected office, Speaker Bass founded and ran Community Coalition, a community-based social justice organization in South Los Angeles to empower residents to get involved in bringing about change.
EMILY's List has supported Bass from the start of her career. In 2004, EMILY's List backed her campaign for California State Assembly through our Political Opportunity Program (POP) that helps women win down-ballot and state legislative races.
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.
