EMILYs List Statement on Shemia Fagan Advancing to General Election for Oregon Secretary of State

For Immediate Release
May 21, 2020

EMILY's List Statement on Shemia Fagan Advancing to the General Election for Oregon Secretary of State

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, congratulated Shemia Fagan on advancing to the general election for Oregon secretary of state. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List, released the following statement: 

“EMILY’s is thrilled to congratulate Shemia Fagan on her primary election victory. In a time of uncertainty, Shemia is a true leader and a champion for women, working families, and marginalized communities. As secretary of state, Shemia will continue to work to create a more equitable and accessible democracy for all Oregonians. We congratulate her on her victory and look forward to standing with her as she advances to the general election.” 

Raised by her father in Dufur and The Dalles, Oregon, Shemia learned to fight for progress as a young girl watching her mother fight addiction. Shemia credits her fourth grade teacher for her success. After working her way through college and law school, she became a civil rights attorney and has worked to expand access to health care, secure LGBTQ+ equality, and increase housing affordability. Shemia knows how to run and win the tough fights, having unseated several incumbents throughout her career in public service. She currently represents District 24 in the Oregon State Senate.

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 50,000 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.