EMILY’s List Congratulates Terri Sewell on her Historic Victory in Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District

Sewell makes history becoming the first African American Woman elected to Congress from Alabama

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The following is a statement from EMILY's List president Stephanie Schriock on Terri Sewell's historic victory in Alabama's seventh congressional district:

"Today, Terri Sewell made history and became the first African American woman elected to Congress from Alabama and the first woman in her own right. Her dedication to the people of the seventh district and passion throughout this campaign has been contagious. Born and raised in Selma, Terri Sewell really understands the concerns that are central to her constituents: creating jobs, and opportunity for quality and affordable education and health care. In Washington, Terri Sewell will continue to fight every day to bring opportunity back home. EMILY's List members across the country were motivated by her campaign, her enthusiasm and vision for the future of Alabama and the country. We are so proud to stand with Terri Sewell and wish her luck in Congress."

EMILY's List endorsed Sewell in February 2010 and mobilized an aggressive campaign to help her win a primary against three well-known establishment candidates. Sewell started the race below 5% in the polls, came in first in the four-way primary in June and then won a July run-off election 55%-45%. Sewell garnered endorsements from critical local supporters including the Selma Times-Journal and the Birmingham News and from women leaders like fair-pay champion and Alabama native Lilly Ledbetter.

EMILY's List members from across the country contributed to her campaign and the EMILY's List WOMEN VOTE! program independently played a critical role in educating and mobilizing African American women voters in the district in both the primary and primary run-off elections. Communicating through mail, phones and by going door to door in Selma and Birmingham, WOMEN VOTE! helped remind women what was stake this election and why Terri Sewell was the candidate best prepared to go to Washington and fight for the people of Alabama’s seventh congressional district.

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 then $38.5 million to support its mission of recruiting and supporting women candidates, helped them build strong campaigns, and mobilizing women voters to turn out and vote. With a community of more than 600,000 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. In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY's List had the largest number of members and donors in our 25 year history.