EMILY's List

EMILY's List
Name	EMILY's List
Type	Political action committee
Founded	1985
Founders	Ellen Malcolm
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Ideology	Democratic Party progressive feminism
Mission	Support pro-choice Democratic women candidates

EMILY's List EMILY's List is an American political action committee founded in 1985 to recruit, fund, and elect pro-choice Democratic women to federal, state, and local office. The organization operates within the ecosystem of advocacy groups and campaign finance networks alongside entities such as MoveOn.org, ActBlue, Center for Responsive Politics, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. EMILY's List engages with party structures and electoral operations that include the Democratic National Committee, state Democratic parties, and allied political committees like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

History

EMILY's List was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985 in the context of the post-Roe v. Wade landscape and after the 1980s campaigns of figures such as Geraldine Ferraro and Walter Mondale raised questions about female representation. Early organizational allies and opponents included NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Organization for Women, and conservative groups like the National Right to Life Committee and the Heritage Foundation. During the 1990s EMILY's List expanded alongside trends marked by the 1992 United States elections—the "Year of the Woman"—and worked with elected officials including Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, and Nancy Pelosi. EMILY's List navigated campaign finance shifts after decisions such as Buckley v. Valeo and later changes brought by Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, affecting independent expenditures, coordination rules, and the rise of super PACs including Priorities USA and Restore Our Future.

Mission and Organization

The stated mission emphasizes recruiting and supporting pro-choice Democratic women candidates for office, coordinating candidate development and training with partners like Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, Joe Biden, and local offices. Leadership has included executives who have worked with institutions such as the Brookings Institution, Center for American Progress, Johns Hopkins University, and law schools like Harvard Law School. Organizational structure features a federal political action committee, state-targeted committees, and a 501(c)(4) arm that interacts with policy advocacy and coalition work alongside American Civil Liberties Union chapters and labor unions such as the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Electoral Strategy and Activities

EMILY's List deploys electoral tools including early money, coordinated mail and digital programs, get-out-the-vote initiatives, and candidate training modeled after programs run by Bootstraps-style incubators and leadership fellowships associated with Harvard Kennedy School and the Institute of Politics. It targets swing districts and competitive primaries similar to strategies used by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, focusing on races like those for the United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, and gubernatorial contests. Its activity has intersected with high-profile campaigns involving figures such as Claire McCaskill, Tammy Duckworth, Catherine Cortez Masto, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren, and coordinated with grassroots groups including Emily's List PAC-adjacent volunteers, campus chapters at institutions like University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, and partnerships with civic organizations during midterm cycles like the 2018 United States elections and the 2020 United States elections.

Funding and Endorsements

Funding sources include small-dollar donors, major bundlers, and high-dollar events that attract contributors from networks involving Hollywood donors such as Barbra Streisand, business figures like George Soros-aligned networks, and labor-backed bundlers. EMILY's List endorses candidates after vetting that considers positions on reproductive rights, aligning endorsements with elected officials including Patty Murray, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and influential state figures. Endorsements have had measurable effects on fundraising and polling in primaries contested by candidates backed by rival groups like Our Revolution, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and conservative PACs such as Club for Growth.

Political Influence and Criticism

EMILY's List has been credited with increasing the number of Democratic women in legislatures, contributing to shifts seen in cohorts such as the 116th United States Congress and the 117th United States Congress. Critics have argued that its influence centralizes candidate selection and privileges establishment-aligned figures over insurgents associated with movements around Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Conservative critics include commentators tied to Fox News, legal challenges and commentators referencing Citizens United v. FEC, and opponents in advocacy spheres like the Susan B. Anthony List. Debates about EMILY's List touch on campaign finance reform advocates such as Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, election law scholars at institutions like Yale Law School, and ethics watchdogs including the Center for Responsive Politics.

Notable Candidates and Impact

EMILY's List has supported numerous successful candidates, including Hillary Clinton (Senate), Carol Moseley Braun, Tammy Baldwin, Tammy Duckworth, Catherine Cortez Masto, Kyrsten Sinema, Claire McCaskill, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Mazie Hirono, Stacey Abrams, Katie Hill, Katie Porter, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal, Maxine Waters, Val Demings, Susan Collins (contrast), Gretchen Whitmer, Jill Biden (spouse/advocate), Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Michelle Obama (influence), Tammy Duckworth, Cynthia Lummis (contrast), Shelley Moore Capito (contrast), Joni Ernst (contrast), Kay Hagan, Heidi Heitkamp, Jeanne Shaheen, Angie Craig, Elise Stefanik (contrast), and state-level figures such as Gina Raimondo and Maura Healey. Its investments correlate with increases in female representation noted by scholars at Rutgers University, Center for American Women and Politics, and analyses published in outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic.

Category:Political action committees in the United States