EMILYs List Endorses Seven Trailblazing Mayoral Candidates
September 28, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today EMILY's List, the nation's largest resource for women in politics, announced endorsements in seven mayoral elections across the country. Each woman has made or will make history in her city.
· Joyce Craig is a former school board member and alderman in the city of Manchester. During her time as alderman, Joyce worked in a bipartisan way to improve the city's schools, invest in infrastructure improvements, and reduce crime. She will be the first woman mayor of Manchester, NH if elected.
· Paula Hicks-Hudson is a former Lucas County assistant prosecutor, assistant public defender, and assistant state attorney general. She also served as the legislative director of the Toledo City Council and chief legal counsel to the Ohio Office of Budget and Management. Her range of experience is unmatched. Mayor Hicks-Hudson is also the first African American woman mayor of Toledo, OH. She is running for re-election.
· Vi Lyles is a former Charlotte budget director and assistant city manager for the city of Charlotte, where she was known for her vision and innovation. She was subsequently elected to serve two consecutive terms as a city councilor at-large. She will be the first African American woman mayor of Charlotte, NC if elected.
· Juanita Perez Williams earned her law degree and went on to serve five years in the Navy Judge Advocates Program, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. She went on to join the faculty of Syracuse University, eventually being promoted to associate dean of students. In 2008, she was appointed to be an assistant attorney general of New York state; and in 2010, to serve as corporation counsel to lead Syracuse's legal office. She will be the first Latina mayor of Syracuse, NY if elected.
· Yvette Simpson is a distinguished attorney who ran for Cincinnati City Council to help improve the local economy and empower the city's youth population. She has served on the boards of several local organizations that work in her community while simultaneously acting as the council's president pro tem. She will be the first directly-elected woman and first African American woman mayor of Cincinnati, OH if elected.
· Yvonne Spicer began her career as a teacher, and rose quickly in her field, becoming department chair and then accepting a leadership position in the Newton school district. In 2008, she started a new division at Boston's Museum of Science and became vice president for advocacy and educational partnerships. Yvonne also served on the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council. She will be the first ever – and first African American woman – mayor of Framingham, MA if elected.
· Lovely Warren was a legislative aide and chief of staff to a New York assemblyman and clerked for a Rochester city court judge. In 2007, she was elected to the Rochester City Council and was elected mayor in 2013, the first woman mayor of Rochester, NY. As mayor, she has made critical strides in early learning education and improving relations between the community and police. She is running for re-election.
“Leadership at the local level impacts working families every day, which is why we are so excited to be supporting such impressive, trailblazing candidates,” said EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock. “These women will bring diverse perspectives and a passion for improving their communities to the job. As EMILY's List continues our work to elect more women leaders, we are proud to stand with candidates who are the best possible people to move these cities forward.”
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.
