For Immediate Release
EMILY’s List Endorses Tulsi Gabbard and Kelda Roys for Congress, Move from “On the List” to a Full Recommendation
Washington D.C. – EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, announced today that it is fully recommending the following candidates:
- Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
- Kelda Roys (WI-02)
"Tulsi and Kelda are strong, accomplished young women who will bring a new perspective and energy to Washington,” said EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock. “As legislators and community leaders who have fought for economic justice, healthcare access, and environmental conservation, both women already have the experience and the drive needed to get things done in Congress."
"Democratic women are leading the way for real change in Washington,” said Schriock. “By electing dynamic leaders like Tulsi Gabbard and Kelda Roys, our EMILY’s List community will help build a Washington that actually works for women and families."
In 2002, at the age of 21, Tulsi Gabbard became the youngest legislator ever elected in the history of Hawai’i and the youngest woman ever elected to a state legislature in the nation. She served as a state representative for the 42nd District of Oahu where she was a strong voice for environmental conservation, economic development, and access to education. Tulsi enlisted in the Hawai’i Army National Guard, and was the first elected official in Hawai’i to step down from public office to voluntarily serve in a war zone.
Kelda Roys currently serves as a legislator in Wisconsin’s 81st district, where she has strong community ties. As a state representative, Kelda sponsored legislation to protect consumers from financial predators, worked to enhance labor protections, and supported expanded healthcare coverage for children. Roys is also the former Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, where she worked to expand access to reproductive healthcare services.
In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY’s List raised more than $38.5 million to support its mission of recruiting and supporting women candidates, helping them build strong campaigns, and mobilizing women voters to turn out and vote. With a community of more than 1,000,000 members across the country, EMILY’s List is one of the largest political action committees in the nation. Since its founding in 1985, EMILY’s List has worked to elect 87 pro-choice Democratic women to the U.S. House, 16 to the U.S. Senate, nine governors, and hundreds of women to the state legislatures, state constitutional offices, and other key local offices. In the 2009-2010 cycle, EMILY’s List had the largest number of members and donors in our 27 year history.