EMILYs List Statement on Tina Smith’s Senate Appointment
December 13, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton announced that he will appoint Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to the United States Senate seat formerly held by Sen. Al Franken. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY's List, released the following statement:
“Governor Dayton made the right call appointing Tina Smith to this seat. We had hoped he would appoint a qualified Minnesota woman and this choice does not disappoint. I’ve known Tina for years — and I can tell you she’s just the kind of leader and fighter Minnesota families deserve to have representing them in the Senate.”
“Tina’s experience in Minnesota — from her work protecting women’s access to care as a vice president of Planned Parenthood Minnesota and the Dakotas, to her success creating jobs, strengthening the economy, and expanding access to early education while serving as lieutenant governor in the state — immensely qualifies her for this role and I know she will join the 15 EMILYs List women currently serving in the Senate as a strong voice and a leader in our fight.”
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 help more women run and win at the local, state, and national levels.
