Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx Nominated for EMILYs List’s Rising Star Award

For Immediate Release

March 1, 2018  

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx Nominated for EMILYs List’s Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, announced that Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is a nominee for the fifth annual Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award.

“As the first African American woman to serve as Cook County State’s Attorney, Kim’s efforts have been transformative,” said Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List. “Her commitment to transparency and fairness in the criminal justice system have shaped her first year in office. Kim’s hard work has made her an incredible leader in her community, and EMILYs List is proud to nominate her for the 2018 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award.”

Kim Foxx’s vision is to build the most just, equitable, and transparent prosecutor’s office in the country by working proactively to make all communities safe while investing in policies that promote a more balanced criminal justice system. Her first year in office has brought substantial progress in priority areas, including wrongful convictions, bond reform, and gun violence. Kim was born and raised on Chicago’s Near North Side and received her B.A. and J.D. from Southern Illinois University.

Named in honor of the dedicated and courageous Gabrielle Giffords, the Rising Star Award celebrates an extraordinary woman serving in state or local office. The award honors a woman who demonstrates the sort of commitment to community, dedication to women and families, and determination and civility that have been the highlights of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ career, in and out of office. Previous Rising Star Award recipients include Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams in 2014, Boston City Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley in 2015, Colorado House Speaker Crisanta Duran in 2016, and Philadelphia City Councilwoman Helen Gym in 2017.

The Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award winner will be chosen with community input.

Kim Foxx is nominated alongside:

Kristine Reeves, Washington State representative
Regina Romero, Tucson (Arizona) city councilor
Cora Faith Walker, Missouri state representative
Faith Winter, Colorado state representative
Michelle Wu, Boston (Massachusetts) city councilor

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 nearly 10,000 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.