EMILY's List Endorses Five Strong Women for Statewide Office in North Carolina

North Carolina Has the Largest Number of Women Running for Statewide Office This Cycle

Linda Coleman for Lieutenant Governor, Elaine Marshall for Secretary of State, Janet Cowell for State Treasurer, Beth Wood for State Auditor and June Atkinson for Superintendent of Public Instruction

WASHINGTON, D.C. – EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, today announced its endorsements of Linda Coleman, Elaine Marshall, Janet Cowell, Beth Wood, and June Atkinson for statewide offices in North Carolina.

“We are thrilled to endorse so many strong women for statewide office in North Carolina – more than any other state this election cycle,” said Stephanie Schriock, President of EMILY’s List. “Linda, Elaine, Janet, Beth, and June are all strong pro-choice Democratic women with the leadership experience North Carolina needs.

“As a State Representative, Linda Coleman has been a fierce advocate for working families, working to improve education and pass tough anti-drug laws. As Secretary of State, Elaine Marshall has consistently stood up to Wall Street in order to protect the interests of North Carolinian families and investors. Janet Cowell has worked hard as Treasurer to improve financial education in public schools and her bold leadership has helped North Carolina weather the recession in strong financial shape. As Auditor, Beth Wood has worked tirelessly to locate and eliminate wasteful spending. June Atkinson put herself through school to obtain three degrees and knows the incredible value of education to the families and children of North Carolina. Together, all five of these women will lead North Carolina in the right direction and EMILY’s List is so proud to stand with them.”

A North Carolina native, Linda Coleman served as Chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners before serving three terms in the North Carolina House. As a State Representative, she helped raise the minimum wage and passed nearly $200 million dollars in state tax cuts. She currently serves as North Carolina’s Director of State Personnel.

A tireless public servant, Elaine Marshall first ran for Secretary of State in 1996, and became the first woman to hold statewide office in North Carolina. She stood up to special interests, protected North Carolina’s investors and exposed more than $500 million in fraud. In Raleigh, she worked to reform lobbying laws and made government more transparent.

As North Carolina’s first female Treasurer, Janet Cowell has worked to transform North Carolina’s financial institutions. Cowell oversees the state’s pension system, ranked fifth in the nation, and has recently taken over leadership of the state health plan. Under her leadership, the North Carolina is one of seven states in the nation to maintain its triple-A bond rating.

As the first woman to hold the office of State Auditor in North Carolina, and with nearly 20 years of auditing experience, Beth Wood has helped North Carolina locate millions of dollars in waste and has redesigned the state’s auditing education program to make it more efficient. Raised in rural North Carolina, Wood put herself through college and became a Certified Public Accountant and served in the offices of State Treasurer and Auditor before becoming State Auditor in 2009.

As the first woman to serve as Superintendent of Public Instruction, Atkinson oversaw increases in the state’s graduation rates since she took office in 2005 and North Carolina is currently at its highest high school graduation rate ever. She previously served as the Director of North Carolina’s Division of Instructional Services – K-12 and taught High School Business in Charlotte.

EMILY’s List’s Political Opportunity Program (POP) helps pro-choice Democratic women run for and win state and local office. Since the program started in 2001, POP has helped elect hundreds of women across the country.

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.