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EMILY’s List Celebrates Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s Historic DFL Endorsement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women candidates, tonight celebrated Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher’s historic victory securing the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party’s endorsement for Governor.

“As Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, Margaret Anderson Kelliher has gone toe-to-toe with right-wing Governor Tim Pawlenty and repeatedly come out the winner,” said Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List. “She spearheaded the nation’s strongest renewable energy standard, overcame the governor’s veto to create transportation jobs, and expanded health care for uninsured children.”

“It is time to end the Republican control of the governor’s office in Minnesota and Margaret is the only candidate who can do that,” said Schriock. “DFLers around the state must join together with Margaret’s historic campaign and get ready to win in November.”

“Margaret is waging a top-notch campaign and EMILY’s List is committed to helping her win not only the August primary but the general election in November. EMILY’s List and our members are excited to help elect Margaret as Minnesota’s first woman governor.”

Margaret Anderson Kelliher is a lifelong Minnesotan with deep roots in southwestern Minnesota. The youngest of six children, Margaret grew up on a dairy farm just outside of Mankato. First elected to the Minnesota state legislature in 1998, Margaret is a pragmatic leader whose skillful coalition-building helped her go from “Freshman Legislator of the Year” in 2000 to Speaker of the House in 2007 at age 38. She has earned a reputation as a coalition builder, reaching across the aisle and working to make life better for all Minnesotans. Margaret is a champion for women and families and has exactly what it takes to be elected Minnesota’s first female Governor.

In 2006, EMILY’s List helped elect Amy Klobuchar, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Minnesota. EMILY’s List also helped elect Congresswoman Betty McCollum in 2000. McCollum was the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota in a generation.

Next week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senator Barbara Mikulski and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will help EMILY’s List celebrate 25 years of changing the face of power by speaking at the anniversary luncheon on Thursday, April 29th in Washington, DC.

In 1985, fed up with being underrepresented in American politics, 25 women armed with Rolodexes gathered in Ellen Malcolm’s basement to send letters to their friends about a network they were forming to raise money for pro-choice Democratic women candidates. Its name? EMILY’s List -- an acronym for “Early Money Is Like Yeast” (because it makes the dough -- campaign funds -- rise).

At the time, no Democratic woman had been elected to the U.S. Senate in her own right, no woman had been elected governor of a large state, and the number of Democratic women serving in the U.S. House of Representatives had declined. That election cycle, the “founding mothers” of EMILY’s List recruited 1,155 members and raised more than $545,000 for two U.S. Senate candidates, including Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, the first Democratic woman elected to the Senate in her own right.

In the 2007-2008 cycle, EMILY’s List raised more than $43 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. 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.