EMILY's List Puts Tulsi Gabbard and Michelle Lujan Grisham "On the List"

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- EMILY's List, the nation's largest resource for women in politics, announced today that Tulsi Gabbard, a candidate for Congress in Hawaii's second congressional district, and Michelle Lujan Grisham, a candidate for Congress in New Mexico's first congressional district, have been put "On the List."

"On the List" is a new way for EMILY's List members to engage with and support promising candidates early in the election cycle. The EMILY's List community has experienced dramatic growth in recent cycles and now stands over 900,000 members strong. These supporters are getting their information earlier, quicker and on the web. And they’re ready to take action now. By putting Gabbard and Grisham "On the List," EMILY’s List is ensuring they have early access to this enthusiastic support.

"Tulsi and Michelle are leaders in their communities and prime examples of what strong women can accomplish in office," said Stephanie Schriock, President of EMILY's List. "A member of the Honolulu City Council, Tulsi promoted progressive environmental policies -- not to mention as an Iraq war veteran, Tulsi brings an important perspective to Washington. As a public servant for New Mexico Michelle worked with at-risk youth to create better opportunities for their future, and sought to improve and increase access to health care for the elderly. With their extensive background in public service, their campaigns are already energized with grassroots support. Voters are eager for leadership in Washington that works on behalf of working families – and they know candidates like Tulsi and Michelle have their best interests in mind. These women will help lead Democrats to take back the House in 2012, and EMILY’s List is thrilled to support their campaigns."

Tulsi Gabbard has been giving back to her community for decades. When she was 19 she founded the Healthy Hawai'i Coalition, a non-profit grassroots organization whose mission is to protect the environment and improve individual and community health. In 2002, she was the youngest person ever elected to the Hawai'i state legislature. She voluntarily left her position to serve two deployments in the Middle East as a member of the National Guard. By sacrificing her re-election to serve with her National Guard Combat Team, Tulsi became the first elected official in the State of Hawai`i to step down from public office to voluntarily serve in a war zone. When she returned she served as legislative aide to Senator Daniel Akaka. Currently Tulsi serves as a member of the Honolulu City Council, where she spearheads environmental and economic issues.

Michelle Lujan Grisham served as the head of the state Agency on Aging from 1991 to 2004. She went on to serve as the Secretary of the state Department of Health. One of her top priorities has been providing adequate care for seniors and families. She currently serves as Bernalillo County Commissioner where she works to bring accountability and transparency to government - from cleaning up county government to turning around failing health care facilities in the state.

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 900,000 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 86 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 25 year history.