EMILYs List Statement on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

For Immediate Release
January 21, 2019

EMILY's List Statement on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, released the following statement on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to a vision of America where people of all races and identities have access to equal education, equal pay, and most importantly, equal rights. As we honor Dr. King’s legacy and reflect on the progress made since he led the civil rights movement, we're reminded that the fight for equality has never been more critical.”

“This month we saw the swearing-in of the most diverse Congress in history, a time when many Americans saw lawmakers that actually represent them for the first time. But even in this historic year, it’s necessary to pursue Dr. King's vision, as the White House and the Republican Party continue to undermine progress with injustice. EMILYs List is proud to stand with the women in office working toward a country of equality and we look forward to building on the progress made in the 2018 midterms by electing, and re-electing, diverse and dedicated pro-choice Democratic women.”

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 dollars 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 40,000 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.