EMILYs List Endorses Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s 7th District

For Immediate Release
February 23, 2018
 

EMILYs List Endorses Abigail Spanberger in Virginia's 7th District

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, endorsed Abigail Spanberger for Congress in Virginia's 7th Congressional District. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List, released the following statement:

“Abigail Spanberger has spent her career taking on tough fights and serving her country. From working as a federal law enforcement officer focused on narcotics and money laundering cases to nearly a decade planning and executing covert operations in the CIA, Abigail repeatedly put herself in harm's way to keep our families safe and protect our American values. She would bring that same commitment to Congress, working on behalf of the families of Virginia's 7th District.

“What is clear is that Dave Brat is totally out of touch with the district he represents. Whether it's voting to end health care for millions of people or refusing to face women voters because he was scared they may disagree with him, Dave Brat has shown zero political courage and no ability to do right by working families. Abigail, on the other hand, is not afraid to engage with voters, listen to their concerns, and represent their best interests in Washington. It's time for Brat to go, and EMILY's List is so proud to be supporting a candidate like Abigail to take his place.”

Abigail Spanberger grew up in Henrico County, Virginia, and is a proud graduate of the University of Virginia. After earning her MBA, Abigail began her public service career as a federal law enforcement officer working narcotics and money laundering cases with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. From there, she joined the CIA as an operations officer in 2006. Focused on counterterrorism, she recruited and developed spies and provided the critical intelligence that policymakers needed to make national security decisions to keep our country safe. She went on to work in the private sector as a strategic leader helping colleges and universities diversify their student bodies, increase graduation rates, and expand students’ access to affordable educational opportunities. Abigail was appointed to the Virginia Fair Housing Board by former Governor Terry McAuliffe in 2017 and has worked to protect Virginians from housing discrimination. Abigail and her husband live with their three daughters in Glen Allen, and she is running to bring new leadership to Congress as she fights for Virginia's working families.

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.