Thread by @emilyslist

Today we’re hosting our very first virtual We Are EMILY celebration!

Over the next two days, we’re excited to be joined by so many of the incredible pro-choice Democratic women who have changed the course of history over the last 35 years.

Follow along to celebrate with us!

Since EMILY’s List was founded by Ellen Malcolm in 1985, we’ve gone from 13 Democratic women in Congress to 105.

We’ve seen the first Black woman elected to the Senate, the first Madam Speaker of the U.S. House, and we’ve seen multiple women run for president.

And we’re just getting started!

https://twitter.com/emilyslist/status/1286830777691406336

First up is our very own @kadefilippi to talk about the lay of the land in November and all of our amazing candidates!

Because as she knows, WOMEN can defend and expand the House majority, flip the Senate, and help defeat Donald Trump in November. #WeAreEMILY

We only need to FLIP 4 seats to FLIP the Senate.

And that's why we've endorsed 4 women to do just that!

There is no doubt that @GreenfieldIowa, @SaraGideon, @BarbaraBollier, and @mjhegar are the women for the job.

A few things @kadefilippi wants us all to keep in mind.

✔️ Women can WIN in Iowa.
✔️ Kansas is in PLAY!
✔️ The Maine Senate race is WINNABLE — we can beat Susan Collins.
✔️ Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) is VULNERABLE — and he can be defeated!

In 2018, we helped elect the most diverse freshman class in history by FLIPPING the House with pro-choice Democratic women alone.

This year, our priority is to DEFEND and EXPAND this House majority — by building strong campaigns and helping raise money for our candidates.

We know that executive leadership matters and that women make exceptional leaders.

And we’ve seen that this leadership saves lives.

That’s why we’re fighting to elect @nicolergalloway in Missouri this year. It’s also why we’re already recruiting for governor’s races in 2022!

Throughout this deadly pandemic, we’ve seen pro-choice Democratic women mayors, governors, and leaders STEP UP to protect their constituents.

The first Democratic Latina elected governor, @Michelle4NM has been that leader for the people of New Mexico. #WeAreEMILY

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the leadership of strong women in positions of power in every corner of the United States has been making all the difference in protecting vulnerable populations.

These women are reminding Americans what leadership looks like.

"Leadership in this crisis has been repeatedly and vigorously demonstrated by women of every color and creed in states in every region.

The bulwark against this tidal wave of ineptitude has been the leadership of strong women in every corner of this country." — @Michelle4NM

"Americans are reaping the benefits every single day of the strong leadership of women ... So, ladies: let's elect more of them!

Women get the job done. And they don't back down." — @Michelle4NM #WeAreEMILY

On top of electing women to federal offices, we’re also so proud of our work to support women running for down-ballot offices.

With our #RuntoWin program, we help support the more than 55,000 women who have signed up with EMILY’s List to run for office since 2016!

From our #RuntoWin Facebook group to our virtual training center to our comprehensive webinar-based training program, we’re providing these women with the resources they need to become future leaders.

Find out more!
emilyslist.org/run-to-win

Who knows, one of these #RunToWin women could be the next state legislator, governor, senator, or even president!

Speaking of future presidents, we’re so excited to welcome @JoeBiden to this year’s #WeAreEMILY!

Just weeks away from choosing a woman to be his running mate, we’re ready to get to work to elect the first-ever #MadamVicePresident and DEFEAT Donald Trump in November!

"A woman's place is in the House, in the Senate, and in the White House as well. In November, we have the chance to elect a woman where a woman has never been before — as vice president!" — @JoeBiden #WeAreEMILY

Each year, the EMILY’s List community nominates incredible leaders for our annual @GabbyGiffords Rising Star Award.

This year, our six nominees are: @EmiliaSykesOH, @RaiseTheBahrMT, @AnnaForFlorida, @RepMaryGonzalez, @friendsforbatch, and @Nicole4Nevada.

We’re so excited to have @joanwalsh with us today to moderate this panel and to hear from our incredible nominees.

.@AnnaForFlorida is the youngest Democrat in the Florida state Legislature. The first Iranian-American elected to public office in Florida, she FLIPPED her district by nearly 15 points in 2018.

Now she’s a leader on public education, protecting the environment, & so much more.

.@friendsforbatch FLIPPED her seat blue in 2018. Ever since, this lawyer, mother of two, and cancer survivor has been a tireless advocate for affordable health care, public education, increased access to mental health resources, and paid family leave. #WeAreEMILY

.@EmiliaSykesOH is the minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives. This “kid from Akron” is dedicated to serving the people of her district, strengthening middle-class families, and improving health care outcomes for all Ohioans. #WeAreEMILY

.@Nicole4Nevada is the first woman ever elected to serve as Majority Leader of the Nevada Senate. As Majority Leader, Nicole has worked to safeguard and expand reproductive rights, increase access to mental health services, and protect domestic violence survivors.

.@friendsforbatch shares such an important reminder:

"If you care about what happens at your kitchen table, then you should care about your state legislature!" #VoteLocal #WeAreEMILY

"Women are amazing leaders and amazing legislators.

We can elect women, and we can affect real change — and it matters to have women in the legislature!" — @Nicole4Nevada

These women are as STRONG as they come.

So strong, in fact, that @EmiliaSykesOH’s middle name is actually strong (truly!).

They’ve been inspired by so many strong women in their lives — and now they’re inspiring so many other women themselves! #WeAreEMILY

We’re so thankful for @GabbyGiffords for lending her name to this award and for her constant leadership on behalf of women in politics. We’re so lucky to have her here with us today!

And now, without further ado, we're excited to hear from our 2020 Rising Star AWARD WINNER — @EmiliaSykesOH!

.@EmiliaSykesOH knows better than anyone — Black women BELONG in government. That’s why she started the hashtag #WeBelongHere. #WeAreEMILY

“What does a legislator look like? Why shouldn’t it look like me?

The reality is, I do look like a legislator. And I also look like a mayor. And a congresswoman. And a governor. And yes, the president of the United States.” — @EmiliaSykesOH #WeBelongHere

Women are changing the world. #WeAreEMILY

https://twitter.com/EmiliaSykesOH/status/1287882199014940673

We're so excited to be joined by @TraceeEllisRoss today!

Tracee knows that we MUST have more women at the table! Because we know that women become exponentially more powerful when we are a group of diverse women.

Because when SHE wins, we win. #WeAreEMILY

It's amazing to be joined by so many incredible pro-choice Democratic women as we celebrate 35 years of EMILY's List!

We're so excited to see what the next 35 years will bring with these fantastic women (and so many more) at our side. ❤️#WeAreEMILY