EMILYs List Endorses Chrissy Houlahan for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 6th District

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, endorsed Chrissy Houlahan for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 6th District. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List, released the following statement:

“EMILYs List is thrilled to endorse Chrissy Houlahan in this critical race to take back the House of Representatives. Chrissy’s patriotic service in the Air Force, success as a small business leader, commitment to the environment, and long history of working on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania make her the best candidate for the job.”

“Rep. Ryan Costello is a rubber stamp on Trump’s radical, un-American agenda – not the champion Pennsylvanian families deserve in Washington. We have Costello to thank for Trumpcare – his vote on the Republican health care bill in committee paved the way for passage of this dangerous piece of legislation. In addition, while Chrissy is a champion for the environment, Costello has shown himself to be in lockstep with Trump’s radical anti-environment policies; voting twice to block the Clean Power Plan which would derail the purposes of the Paris Agreement. With Ryan Costello in office, the voices of 6th District voters are not being heard on Capitol Hill – and EMILYs List is honored to stand with Chrissy Houlahan as she fights to change that.”

“It’s hard to believe that in 2017, Pennsylvania’s 20-member congressional delegation is 100 percent male. Pennsylvania women have long deserved a leader like Chrissy in the House who will fight not for special interests, but for the issues that matter to their families and to ensure their voices are heard.”

Chrissy Houlahan is a veteran and business leader running for Congress to fight for Pennsylvania working families. Chrissy felt called to run for office for the first time after the 2016 election. “I never thought I would run for elected office, but service does not stop when you leave the Armed Forces,” she has said. Her story is uniquely American: Chrissy’s father, a Holocaust survivor, came to America with his widowed mother seeking safety and opportunity. He joined the U.S. Navy, rising to the rank of Captain and teaching Chrissy the importance of service. She attended Stanford on an ROTC scholarship, and went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force before going on to earn her master’s degree from MIT and growing and running a successful business. As COO of AND1 Basketball, Chrissy helped the footwear and apparel company’s revenue grow from $4M to over $250 million, while also building a socially responsible corporation. After ten years at AND1, Chrissy became the founding COO of B Lab, a non-profit that certifies and supports B Corporations — companies that harness the power of for-profit businesses to support social and environmental issues. Always seeking more ways to give back, in 2011 Chrissy took a year to teach 11th grade chemistry in North Philadelphia through Teach for America. Most recently, she has served as President and COO/CFO of Springboard Collaborative, an educational organization focused on early childhood literacy. Chrissy lives with her husband Bart in Chester County, where they raised their two grown daughters. She is running to bring her business savvy and commitment to public service to Washington, to stand up to Donald Trump, and fight for the people in her community.

As a business leader, Chrissy has helped create hundreds of jobs in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In Congress, she will fight for policies that expand economic opportunity for all Pennsylvanians — and against policies that benefit special interests at the expense of working families. She is a powerful advocate for expanding economic opportunity and for promoting economic security: “We must also ensure that businesses pay a living wage, that equal work gets equal pay, and that the workplace respects the dignity of its employees,” she has said. Chrissy knows from her extensive business experience that working families can succeed when they have access to quality health care. She is a vocal critic of the Republicans’ cruel plan to undo the progress we’ve worked so hard to make, causing 23 million Americans to lose their insurance, and turning back the clock on women’s rights to make their own decisions about their reproductive health. As one of the original team at B Lab (which created B Corporations), Chrissy knows firsthand the positive impact that successful businesses’ sustainability practices can have on our communities and our shared future. In Congress, she will champion policies that grow our economy, while respecting and protecting employees, the community and the environment. Chrissy is a champion for Pennsylvania students and their families. She will fight for policies that prepare our students to thrive in tomorrow’s economy, and to ensure that our country is investing in our future.

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 trained over 9,000 women to run and 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 – including every single Latina, African American, and Asian American Democratic congresswoman currently serving.