EMILYs List Endorses Rita Hart in Iowa’s 2nd District

For Immediate Release
June 24, 2019

EMILYs List Endorses Rita Hart in Iowa’s 2nd District

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, endorsed Rita Hart in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List, released the following statement:

“Rita Hart is a lifelong Iowan and champion for working families who will continue the deep representation for every Iowan in the 2nd Congressional District. During her time in the state Senate, Rita was a strong advocate for expanding funding for public education and job training programs. As a farmer and former teacher, her priorities and experience are well-suited to make her an effective policymaker for the 2nd Congressional District and she will stand up for the Iowans she represents.

“Rita is running to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack, who helped expand economic opportunities for Iowans while he was in office. We have no doubt that Republicans will be working hard to flip this open seat, and that Rita is prepared to win this fight. EMILYs List is proud to be standing alongside her.”

Rita Hart is one of nine children raised in Charles City, Iowa by her Republican mother and Democratic father. She graduated from North Iowa Area Community College and the University of Northern Iowa before teaching in the Calamus-Wheatland and Bennett Community school districts for over 20 years. She has been an active volunteer in her community and was elected to the Iowa State Senate in 2012. Rita and her husband have owned and operated a soybean and corn farm in Wheatland since 1986 and are the proud parents of five children.

EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has raised over $600 million to elect pro-choice Democratic women candidates. With a grassroots community of over five million members, EMILY's List helps Democratic women win competitive campaigns – across the country and up and down the ballot – by recruiting and training candidates, supporting strong campaigns, researching the issues that impact women and families, and turning out women voters to the polls. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect 150 women to the House, 26 to the Senate, 16 governors, and nearly 1,100 women to state and local office. Nearly 40 percent of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. During the historic 2017-2018 cycle, EMILYs List raised a record-breaking $110 million and launched a record independent expenditure campaign. We helped elect 34 new women to the House, including 24 red-to-blue victories; enough seats to have delivered the U.S. House majority alone. Since the 2016 election, more than 46,000 women have reached out to EMILY's List about running for office laying the groundwork for the next decade of candidates for local, state and national offices.