EMILYs List Endorses Sabina Matos and Bridget Valverde for Election in Rhode Island

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 12, 2022 

EMILYs List Endorses Sabina Matos and Bridget Valverde for Election in Rhode Island

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, endorsed Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos for lieutenant governor and state Sen. Bridget Valverde for reelection to the Rhode Island General Assembly. EMILYs List President Laphonza Butler released the following statement:
 
“EMILYs List is proud to support Sabina Matos and Bridget Valverde for election in Rhode Island. Matos and Valverde are proven leaders who have shown us their commitment to expanding opportunity and equality in the state of Rhode Island. Now more than ever, we need leaders who aren’t afraid to fight for the rights of their constituents in all levels of office. We know we can count on these two reproductive care champions to continue to work towards an equitable future if elected.”

Sabina Matos was appointed to serve as lieutenant governor of Rhode Island in 2021. She served 10 years on the Providence City Council, championing an equity agenda. In 2019, Matos became the first Latina to serve as president of the city council. She was the first-ever Afro-Latina to serve in a statewide public office in Rhode Island. She grew up in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 20. She has worked on initiatives to build affordable housing, supporting women leaders, and protecting reproductive rights. As lieutenant governor, Matos has been breaking down barriers while empowering those who never had a seat at the table before. Sabina Matos lives in Olneyville, Rhode Island with her husband and two children. 

Bridget Valverde currently serves in the Rhode Island state Senate and is the vice chair of the Senate Committee on Health & Human Services. She is also a member of the Committee on Environment & Agriculture. Her background is in the nonprofit sector where she has worked to expand access to health care for children, families, and seniors and has helped animal welfare organizations. She also actively works as a substitute teacher in North Kingstown Schools. Bridget Valverde lives in North Kingstown, Rhode Island with her husband, two sons, and their family pug. 
 
These endorsements are in addition to the previously endorsed EMILYs List candidate headed to the general election in Rhode Island: Victoria Gu (RI-SD38).

EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, works to elect Democratic pro-choice women up and down the ballot and across the country with a goal of fighting for our rights and our communities. Our work is centered around a fundamental vision: Run. Win. Change the World. EMILYs List has raised over $700 million in service to that vision and has helped Democratic women win competitive elections by recruiting and training candidates, supporting and helping build strong campaigns, researching the issues that impact women and families, running one of the largest independent expenditure campaigns for Democrats, and turning out women voters to the polls. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect the country's first woman as vice president, 159 women to the House, 26 to the Senate, 16 governors, and nearly 1,400 women to state and local office. More than 40% of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Visit www.emilyslist.org for more information.