EMILY's List Endorses Grace Meng for Congress in New York

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, announced that it is fully recommending Grace Meng, a candidate for Congress in New York’s sixth congressional district. If elected, Meng, a mother of two, will become the first Asian-American sent to Congress from New York.

“Grace Meng is not just a strong candidate, she’s exactly the kind of fierce advocate for women and families that we need in Washington right now,” said Stephanie Schriock, President of EMILY’s List. “Grace is a true progressive who will stand up to the radical Republican agenda and get things done in Congress. Candidates like Grace are leading the way back for Democrats in November and setting the stage for an historic year for women. Grace is a true champion for New York, breaking through glass ceilings in so many ways, and the EMILY’s List community is thrilled to support her throughout her campaign.”

A Queens native, Grace Meng has fought tirelessly for women’s health, families, economic fairness and seniors. During her time in the New York State Legislature, she wrote legislation that extended unemployment benefits, authored the Reverse Mortgage Act, which protects senior citizens against higher property taxes, and provided new incentives for property owners to provide affordable housing. Meng is the youngest Asian-American ever elected to the New York State Legislature and would be the state’s first Asian-American representative in Congress. A dedicated advocate for underrepresented communities, Meng serves on Governor Cuomo’s Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise Team and was the first-ever Asian-American appointed to hold a Cabinet position in the NYS Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Caucus.

Just in the last year, EMILY’s List helped elect three new women to the House through special elections: Kathy Hochul in Western New York, Janice Hahn in Los Angeles, California, and Suzanne Bonamici in Portland, Oregon. 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 1,000,000 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.