EMILYs List Endorses Joyce Elliott in Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District

For Immediate Release
June 16, 2020 

EMILYs List Endorses Joyce Elliott in Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, endorsed Joyce Elliott in Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List, released the following statement:

“EMILYs List is proud to endorse Joyce Elliott, a fierce advocate for Arkansan women and working families. As a state senator and chair of the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus, Joyce has used her position of power to represent marginalized communities and address the issues most important to her constituents. She is an award-winning legislator and former teacher who has dedicated her career to serving others. When Joyce becomes the first woman elected to serve in Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District, EMILYs List is confident she will continue to be a powerful voice for progress and equality.” 

Born and raised in rural Arkansas, Joyce Elliott was only the second person of color to graduate from the newly integrated school after her older sister was the first. As a young woman, she committed to staying in the South to make change happen where she saw great need for it. Joyce earned an undergraduate degree from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and a graduate degree in English from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and began her career in public service as an educator. For thirty years, Joyce taught high school students in Arkansas public schools. She was elected to the Arkansas state House in 2000, and quickly earned a reputation as an outstanding leader. She served three terms and chaired the education committee. Joyce went on to win election to the Arkansas state Senate, where she serves today. A proud mother and grandmother, she lives in Little Rock.

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.