EMILYs List Statement on the NRCC’s Homophobic Attack Against Gina Ortiz Jones

For Immediate Release
August 26, 2020

EMILYs List Statement on the NRCC’s Homophobic Attack Against Gina Ortiz Jones

WASHINGTON, D.C — The National Republican Congressional Committee is encouraging other Republicans and conservative groups to target congressional candidate Gina Ortiz Jones (TX-23) for her sexual orientation. Karen Defilippi, vice president of federal and gubernatorial campaigns at EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, released the following statement:

“The National Republican Congressional Committee has proven once again that they will cross any and every line to try and save themselves from disaster this November. This homophobic attack against veteran and dedicated public servant Gina Ortiz Jones is further evidence of a culture of bigotry and intolerance that runs deep within their party. While Republican leadership resorts to bigotry, Texans are abandoning their shameful brand of politics. Gina is a fearless champion for Texas families and EMILYs List looks forward to her victory this fall.”

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 55,000 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.