For Immediate Release
June 7, 2006

Statement of Ellen R. Malcolm, president of EMILY's List, on Francine Busby's Tremendous Campaign in California's 50th Congressional District

"Republicans looking to California's 50th Congressional District for signs of hope regarding their chances for the fall will find little to cause for optimism. The true bellwether yesterday was Bilbray's mediocre performance, which fell far short of Bush's margin in 2004 despite having all the registration advantages and an extraordinary infusion of cash and staff from national Republicans. If Republicans see a similar 5 point drag on performance in districts around the country, more than 30 competitive Republican seats will see Republicans candidates falling below the 50% threshold come this November*. Even with their deep pockets and wealthy special interest allies, the Republicans can't spend $5 million to defend every Republican candidate, and there aren't enough GOP staffers on Capitol Hill to cover all the seats in jeopardy."

"While Bilbray narrowly avoided a loss, the true seeds of victory were planted by the outstanding campaign of Francine Busby, whose call for change and drive to clean up the corruption in Washington brought together voters from all walks of life and all parties. Hers is a message that resonated far beyond the boundaries of her district and has taken root all across this country with voters who have had enough of the misplaced priorities and divisive politics propagated by President Bush and the Republican-led Congress."

"While the outcome of the run-off may not have yielded an immediate victory for Francine, it still serves as a harbinger of trouble for Republicans in the fall. The members of EMILY's List are proud to support Francine Busby and they know that yesterday's run-off was only one more step in a drive toward November and they will not falter in their tremendous support of Francine and other outstanding pro-choice Democratic women candidates around the country."

Background: A "Bilbray-esque Victory" could means Big Loses for Republicans in the Fall:

An analysis of Republican held seats that are considered competitive by the Cook Political Report, shows that if Republican candidates in these seats also performed 5 points below Bush's winning 2004 margin in their districts, those candidates will fall below the 50% mark and hand Democrats victory and control of the House in November. Those seats include:

Background on EMILY's List:

With more than 100,000 members, including over 20,000 in California, EMILY's List is the largest political action committee in the nation. Since its founding in 1985, EMILY's List has helped elect 61 pro-choice Democratic women to the U.S. House, 11 to the U.S. Senate, and eight governors. In only ten election cycles, EMILY's List has helped elect hundreds of pro-choice Democratic women to federal office, state legislatures, state constitutional offices and other key local offices.