EMILY’s List Congratulates Mazie Hirono and Tulsi Gabbard on their Victories in Hawai’i: Both EMILY’s List Candidates in the Aloha State Win Competitive Primaries

WASHINGTON, D.C. – EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, congratulates Mazie Hirono, candidate for U.S. Senate, and Tulsi Gabbard, candidate for the House in Hawai’i’s second district, on their hard-won primary elections.

“Last night’s primary victories show that voters in Hawai’i want strong, progressive leaders who will stand up for women and families,” said Stephanie Schriock, President of EMILY’s List. “Mazie has worked tirelessly to expand opportunities for women in Hawai’i, Tulsi is a dynamic leader with a record of service to her country, and both women have incredible personal stories that resonated with voters. Mazie and Tulsi are extraordinary women, and the EMILY’s List community is thrilled to continue supporting their candidacies as they both move on to the general election in November.”

Mazie Hirono is a three term Congresswoman who has worked tirelessly to defend women’s rights and opportunities. An immigrant from Japan who fled an abusive home with her mother and brother, Mazie understands the struggles that many families face.  EMILY’s List is excited to support such an historic candidate who, if elected, will be the first Asian-American woman to ever serve in the Senate.

In Hawaii’s second district, WOMEN VOTE! released a television ad in support of Tulsi Gabbard, highlighting her small business experience and how she, becoming the youngest state legislator in Hawai'i, volunteered for military duty in Iraq, and then came back to help veterans find jobs. Initial polling showed Gabbard 27 points behind Mufi Hannemann when it came to the economy and jobs. WOMEN VOTE! aimed to shore up her credentials as a job creator by highlighting Gabbard’s firsthand experience in business. WOMEN VOTE! produced an ad “Honesty” and went up with a strong TV buy with a positive Gabbard message. The ad ran from July 23 through August 6 on broadcast television in Honolulu, representing a significant, six-figure buy. WOMEN VOTE! worked in coalition with Vote Vets and the Sierra Club. Vote Vets was on TV for nine weeks, starting in May. The group also sent four pieces of mail and did live phone calls with Hawaiian veterans. The Sierra Club did five pieces of comparative mail and a week of radio on the outer islands.

Hawai’i has a remarkable legacy of electing pro-choice Democratic women who know how to get things done in Congress, and EMILY’s List is thrilled to have been a part of their campaigns. From electing Patsy Mink who co-authored the historic Title IX legislation, to the more recent victories of progressive champions Colleen Hanabusa and Mazie Hirono, Hawai’i has been on the forefront of holding Washington accountable by choosing leaders who know how to get things done for women and families.

Launched in 1995, the historic EMILY's List WOMEN VOTE! project combines polling and research, advanced information technology, sophisticated message testing, and precinct-by-precinct field work to mobilize millions of women voters across the country. EMILY's List designed WOMEN VOTE! to build a progressive political base that will elect more Democrats, especially women, by helping to increase turnout among women voters year after year.

In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY's List raised more than $38.5 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 a community of more than 1,500,000 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 87 pro-choice, Democratic women to the U.S. House, 16 to the U.S. Senate, nine governors, and hundreds of women to the state legislatures, state constitutional offices, and other key local offices. In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY's List had the largest number of members and donors in our 27 year history.