EMILY's List Congratulates Cheri Bustos

WASHINGTON, D.C. – EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, today congratulates Cheri Bustos on her primary election win in the IL-17 congressional district.

“EMILY’s List is proud to congratulate Cheri Bustos on her primary victory tonight in Illinois,” said Stephanie Schriock, President of EMILY’s List. “Cheri is running a fantastic campaign focused on what Illinois needs right now. She’s someone who will stand up for Illinois, work to create jobs, and fight for middle class families. Cheri now faces extremist Tea Party Republican Bobby Schilling in the general election. Women are leading the way back for Democrats in 2012 and the entire EMILY’s List community has never been more fired up to send strong leaders like Cheri to Washington.”

Cheri Bustos has been politically active in her community since she was elected to the East Moline City Council in 2007. Previously she worked for 17 years as a journalist, uncovering government corruption, and as the Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for the Iowa Health System. She is active with Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the YMCA, where she was recognized for her efforts in the annual fundraising campaign for in need families. She has also served as President of the Board for the Quad-Cities’ largest women’s organization, The Women’s Connection. Cheri has three children with her husband Gerry.

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 1,000,000 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.