By the Numbers: EMILYs List + the 2018 Midterms

For Immediate Release

September 24, 2018

By the Numbers: EMILY's List + the 2018 Midterms
As EMILY's List heads into the final weeks of the campaign, it is set to break endorsement, fundraising, training, and win records.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, EMILYs List, the nation's largest resource for women in politics, released record-breaking numbers ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. The organization is set to have an historic year at nearly all levels of engagement: fundraising, training, endorsements and victories.

“We're at an unprecedented time for women in politics,” said Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY's List. “Come January, there will be an historic number of women in elected office because of the work EMILY's List has done to recruit hundreds of candidates, fight to ensure they are on the general election ballot, and help them win.”

“This cycle, we've trained more women than ever before, endorsed more women than ever before, and we're on track to raise more for our candidates than any previous midterm cycle. A record number of pro-choice Democratic women have won primaries and are gearing up to flip states, seats and entire chambers blue. Come November, women, like the 42,000 we've heard from in less than two years, will see the wave of pro-choice Democratic women winning and will be inspired to run and win themselves. There's no going back — we couldn't be more excited.”

KEY NUMBERS

42,000+: EMILY's List has heard from over 42,000 women who are interested in running for office since Election Day 2016. To put that in perspective, a then-record 920 women contacted the organization during the entire 2016 election cycle. 

$37 million+: EMILY's List's independent expenditure arm, Women Vote, is projected to spend at least $37 million to elect our candidates this cycle. This matches the record high spent last cycle — a presidential year.

$10 million+: EMILY's List has already bundled $10 million going directly to its candidates this cycle, with more to come. This is in addition to the direct help we give our campaigns through on-the-ground staff assistance, from helping create budgets to training staff to media and debate prep. EMILY's List is proud to stand with our candidates throughout their entire campaigns in many ways.

5,000+: This cycle, EMILY's List has trained over 5,000 women to run for office. These trainings, conducted by our new, dedicated training department, include in-person and online trainings. Candidates at these trainings have included Democratic nominees for the U.S. House Gina Ortiz Jones (TX-23), Lucy McBath (GA-06), and Lauren Underwood (IL-14). 

While EMILYs List continues to endorse pro-choice Democratic women, the current status of endorsed candidates who will appear on November’s ballot is as follows:

Governors: EMILY's List has endorsed eight Democratic women gubernatorial candidates. Six of those are in red-to-blue seats. These include history-makers like Stacey Abrams, who would be the first-ever African American woman governor, and Michelle Lujan Grisham, set to be the first-ever Democratic Latina governor.

U.S. Senate: EMILY's List has endorsed 12 candidates for the U.S. Senate, including the two most likely red-to-blue flips: Rep. Jacky Rosen in Nevada, and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona.

U.S. House: EMILY's List has endorsed a record 64 women for the U.S. House of Representatives, including 47 in red-to-blue seats. As Democrats need 23 seats to flip the chamber, this means EMILY's List candidates can single-handily win back the majority for Democrats twice over.

State and Local: EMILY's List has endorsed more than 500 women running for state and local office this cycle; a record number for the organization. This includes the EMILY's List-endorsed women who ran in special elections and the November 2017 elections, in addition to the over 300 candidates on this November's ballot. This dedicated investment in legislative races could lead to Democrats flipping ten targeted legislative chambers this election alone.

Arizona: 13 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Five endorsed candidates, including two running for statewide offices, January Contreras (AZ-AG) and Katie Hobbs (AZ-SOS), could flip crucial red to blue seats. Arizona is tied for the highest percentage of  women serving in the state legislature in the country. Voters need to elect just nine more women in 2018 for at least half of the state legislature to be women.

California: 22 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Eight endorsed candidates running for state legislative offices could flip crucial red to blue seats. Only 24 Democratic women currently serve in California’s 120-seat legislature.

*Colorado: 18 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Five endorsed candidates, including Jena Griswold (CO-SOS), could flip crucial red to blue seats. Democrats need to flip one seat in the state Senate to assume a majority.

*Florida: 19 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Seventeen endorsed candidates running for the state legislature and local public offices could flip crucial red to blue seats. Democrats need to flip five seats in the state Senate to assume a majority.

Georgia: 26 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. 21 endorsed candidates, including Janice Laws (Insurance Commissioner), could flip crucial red to blue seats. Currently, women make up less than a third of Georgia’s 236-seat legislature.

Illinois: 20 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates, including two women running for statewide offices — Juliana Stratton (IL-LG) and Susana Mendoza (IL-Comptroller) advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Eleven endorsed candidates running for the state legislature could flip crucial red to blue seats. Currently, women make up just over one third of Illinois’ 177-seat legislature.

Iowa: 20 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Fifteen endorsed candidates, including Rita Hart (IA-LG) and Deidre DeJear (IA-SOS), could flip crucial red to blue seats. Currently, women make up less than a quarter of Iowa’s 150-seat legislature.

*Maine: 18 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Eleven endorsed candidates running for the state legislature and 1 running for district attorney could flip crucial red to blue seats. Democrats need to flip one seat in the state Senate to assume the majority.

*Michigan: 26 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Fifteen endorsed candidates running for the state legislature could flip crucial red to blue seats. Democrats need to flip nine seats in the state House to assume the majority.

*Minnesota: 18 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Thirteen endorsed candidates running for the state House could flip crucial red to blue seats. Democrats need to flip 11 seats in the state House to assume the majority.

Nevada: 16 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Seven endorsed candidates running for the state legislature and Kate Marshall (NV-LG) could flip crucial red to blue seats. Nevada is poised to become the first majority-women legislature in the nation if eight more women are elected in 2018.

*New Hampshire: 12 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Eight endorsed candidates running for the state legislature could flip crucial red to blue seats. Democrats need to flip three seats in the state Senate and 32 seats in the state House to assume the majority.

New Mexico: 16 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Five endorsed candidates running for the state House and Stephanie Garcia Richard (NM-Land Commissioner) could flip crucial red to blue seats. Currently, women make up more than one third of New Mexico’s 70-seat House of Representatives.

*North Carolina: 22 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Fifteen endorsed candidates running for the state legislature could flip crucial red to blue seats. Democrats need to flip 16 seats in the state House to assume the majority.

Ohio: 19 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Eleven endorsed candidates, including Kathleen Clyde (OH-SOS), could flip crucial red to blue seats. Currently, women make up less than a quarter of Ohio’s 132-seat legislature.

*Pennsylvania: 27 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Twenty-four endorsed candidates running for the state House could flip crucial red to blue seats. Democrats need to flip 20 seats to assume the majority of the state House.

Washington: 17 EMILYs List-endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Eleven endorsed candidates running for the state Senate could flip crucial red to blue seats. Democrats have a one-seat majority in the state Senate.

*Wisconsin: 13 EMILY’s-List endorsed candidates advanced to the general election and will be on November’s ballot. Eight endorsed candidates running for the state legislature, in addition to Sarah Godlewski (WI-Treasurer) could flip crucial red to blue seats. Democrats need to flip two seats to assume the majority in the state Senate.

*state with flippable chambers targeted by EMILY's List

EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has raised over $500 million to support pro-choice Democratic women candidates – making them one of the most successful political organizations ever. Our grassroots community of over five million members helps Democratic women wage competitive campaigns – and win. We recruit and train candidates, support strong campaigns, research the issues that impact women and families, and turn out women voters. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect 116 women to the House, 23 to the Senate, 12 governors, and over 800 to state and local office. Forty percent of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Since the 2016 election, thousands of women and counting have reached out to us about running for office. To harness this energy, EMILYs List has launched Run to Win, an unprecedented effort to get more women to run at the local, state, and national levels.