Since its inception in 2001, EMILY's List's Political Opportunity Program has helped elect hundreds of women to state and local office. POP continued its winning streak in 2008, including electing 10 women to statewide offices throughout the country. Learn more about the women we help elect and some of our most recent victories.
2008 General Election Statewide POP Victories
Arizona
Sandra Kennedy won one of three open seats on the Corporation Commission to become the first African-American elected statewide in Arizona. Kennedy was first elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in November 1986, where she served for 6 years before successfully becoming a state senator in 1992.
Missouri
Robin Carnahan was easily re-elected secretary of state in Missouri. She won her first elective office 51 percent to 45 percent over the well-known, better-funded Republican speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives. Since taking office, Carnahan has focused on improving customer service, cutting red-tape for Missouri businesses, protecting consumers and ensuring that elections are accessible, fair and free of fraud.
Montana
Denise Juneau made history in November with her election as superintendent of public education as the first Native elected to a statewide office in Montana, and as the first Native woman in the nation elected statewide. Her top two priorities heading into office will center on the No Child Left Behind Act and seeking an increase for school budgets.
Monica Lindeen, elected state auditor with 53 percent of the vote, developed a reputation in the state legislature as a common sense, moderate, knowledgeable about how to get things done for Montana while serving in various leadership roles and becoming a leading expert on the state budget. She said clear distinctions between her and the Republican candidate contributed to her victory.
Linda McCulloch, a former legislator who became the state school superintendent, won the race for secretary of state over Republican incumbent Brad Johnson. McCulloch said during her aggressive campaign that she wanted to increase voter participation through outreach programs in schools and colleges.
North Carolina
Janet Cowell, elected North Carolina's first female treasurer, will serve as the state's top financial official and will manage a $66 billion pension fund and oversee municipal debt as the state faces tough economic times. Cowell has said she wants to focus on increasing the pension fund, which pays benefits to state retirees. Cowell previously served in the State Senate.
Beth Wood beat the incumbent Republican to become North Carolina's first woman to serve as auditor. During the campaign, Wood, a former training director in the state auditor's office, accused Merritt of injecting partisanship into his audits. The auditor is charged with monitoring state spending in agencies and nonprofit organizations that receive state funds.
Oregon
Kate Brown won a bruising three-way primary in May and a tougher than expected general election to become Oregon's next secretary of state. As secretary of state, Brown plans to be an advocate for the people -- decreasing initiative fraud and creating more opportunities for people to register to vote and sign petitions by utilizing modern technology.
Vermont
Deborah Markowitz was re-elected Vermont's secretary of state. She was first elected in 1998. Although she had never run for elective office before, Deb beat a two-term incumbent after running a strong grassroots campaign. She is the first woman to be elected secretary of state in Vermont.
West Virginia
Natalie Tennant was elected secretary of state in West Virginia, the first Democratic woman elected statewide in West Virginia and only the third woman ever. Tennant, a former television anchor and reporter in the Charleston and Clarksburg media markets, beat two members of leadership to win the nomination in the primary. She will work to restore West Virginians’ confidence in the election process, increase voter participation and create a more diverse selection of poll workers.
2008 General Election POP Legislative Stories
Michigan
In Michigan this cycle, it has been all about holding the state House, captured by Democrats in 2006, despite 44 open seats due to term limits. We ended up with eight new pro-choice Democratic women in the state house (Vicki Barnett, Lisa Brown, Ellen Lipton, Jennifer Haase, Deb Kennedy, Lesia Liss, Sarah Roberts, Kate Segal, and Dian Slavens).
Nevada
Democrats took back the state Senate in 2008 and now hold a 12-9 advantage in the chamber. Senator-elect Shirley Breeden helped return the Nevada Senate Democrats to the majority in the Nevada state Senate for the first time in 20 years.
New Hampshire
After taking the majority in the New Hampshire state Senate and electing a pro-choice Democratic woman president of the chamber last time, we protected all of our "new" incumbents, Jackie Cilley, Betsi DeVries, Maggie Wood Hassan, Molly Kelly, Sylvia Larsen, Deborah Reynolds, and Kathleen Sgambati while also adding three women to new seats, Peggy Gilmour, Bette Lasky, and Amanda Merrill.
The New Hampshire Senate is now the first (and only) state legislative chamber in the country to be comprised of 50 percent women.
Ohio
To control redistricting by 2010, it was imperative that Democrats take back either the House or the Senate. All four of the pro-choice women candidates POP endorsed for the state house won: Nancy Garland, Marian Harris, Debbie Phillips, and Connie Pillich, giving Democrats control of the chamber for the first time in 14 years.
Texas
After adding five new pro-choice Democratic women to the state House last cycle, Texas added three more this year: Carol Alvarado, Carol Kent, and Diana Maldonado. Democrats are now just two seats down in the chamber. The new margin presents the opportunity for a leadership battle to displace hyper-partisan GOP Speaker Tom Craddick.
Wisconsin
In Wisconsin this cycle, POP helped six pro-choice Democratic women, including Penny Bernard Schaber, Kristen Dexter, Sandy Pasch, Kelda Helen Roys, Donna Seidel, and Christine Sinicki to flip the state Assembly. In winning the majority in the state Assembly, Wisconsin Democrats captured control of both the state legislature and the governor's mansion for the first time in more than two decades.
Click here for more 2008 primary election results.
Click here for the 2007 election results.
Click here for the 2006 election results.