EMILY's List Releases New Endorsements

EMILY’s List, which describes itself as "the nation's largest grassroots political network" and says that it "is dedicated to building a progressive America by electing pro-choice Democratic women to federal, state, and local office," has mailed its second round of endorsements this cycle.

The mailing, which is headed to the group’s entire list of more than 100,000 members, includes one Presidential hopeful, New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, one incumbent governor seeking reelection, Washington State’s Christine Gregoire, and one incumbent House member, Melissa Bean of Illinois.

The mailing also includes endorsements for four candidates for the United States House of Representatives: challengers Christine Jennings of Florida 13 and Kay Barnes of Missouri 6, and open seat hopefuls Chellie Pingree of Maine 1 and Joan Fitz-Gerald of Colorado 2. Pingree and Fitzgerald are likely to face spirited primaries.

Jennings hopes to have a second shot at Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan, who narrowly defeated Jennings in November amid Democratic complaints of voting irregularities, while Barnes, the former mayor of Kansas City, is the party’s likely challenger to Republican Rep. Sam Graves.

Of the seven endorsements, only Clinton benefited from a previous EMILY’s List mailing this year.

The group has endorsed five other Democratic House candidates this cycle: Laura Richardson and Niki Tsongas, both of whom won special elections, and freshmen Kirsten Gillibrand (New York 20), Gabrielle Giffords (Arizona 8) and Carol Shea-Porter (New Hampshire 1).

This item first appeared on Political Wire on September 5, 2007.