Women Raising Money for Women -- Notes

The Creation of EMILY's List

Reserve Reading

-Ellen Malcom, tall imposing, from Montclair, New Jersey, daughter of Repub committeewoman
-At Hollins College Malcolm got involved in antiwar movement + Gene McCarthy's pres campaign
-changed to a Democrat and worked at Common Cause and National Women's Political Caucus
-White House staff in 1980 as press secretary for Ester Peterson
-Father died when she was 8 months old and she had inherited much of the IBM fortune from him, but she didn't let people know it.
-Anonymous $5,000 checks went to the Caucus to advance women
-Went to Georgetown to get a master's degree in business and created a secret foundation named Wyndham Foundation after the street where she lived
-Lived in the building owned by her fund but no one drew the conclusion, so she decided to tell.
-1982, Malcolm tried to get Harriet Woods elected to Senate but people wouldn't help her fundraise
-Woods defeated Democrats person in primaries. Almost defeated Repub incumbent John Danforth, lost by 1% of the vote
-This loss made Malcolm act, she sent out a chain letter in 1984 describing the female candidates which asked women to contribute to the candidates of their choice and then pass the letter along
-After the defeats in 1984, decided money would only go to women who had a change of winning
-"Early Money is like Yeast, it makes the dough rise" (EMILY's List name)
-EMILY's List women contribute $100 annual membership fee, and give $100 or more to at least two candidates/year
-Malcolm traveled the country holding "Rolodex Parties" to raise money
-Had never raised money, hated public speaking, and yet it worked.
-Malcolm went against advice of marketing professor at Georgetown
-1986: EMILY's List first year of operation, it attracted six hundred doners, raised over $350,000 and claimed some credit for the 1st Dem woman ever elected to Senate in her own right
-Barbara Mikulski announced running, social worker/city council member from baltimore
-Mikulski unlikely prospect, old style, 4'11", but she got things done
-Part of the House from Baltimore
-"The Mouth" is her nickname, can be abrasive, champinoned many cuses
-risked safe house seat for senate at almost 50
-didn't "look like a senator"
-Mikulski ran against Barnes in primary and used Emily's List to establish her as a candidate and raise money.
-Was portrayed as hostile, but turned it into"When it comes to Maryland, I'm a fighter"
-accused of being a lesbian, common charge against female candidates, because she wasn't married, but it was a common state in her social status
-Won primary and then defeated Chaves to become Senator, and served for three terms
-Laid out a strategy to get recognition in Senate
-Tried to get onto the Appropriations board, met with many senior Senators in DC, only having an hour drive into DC from Maryland
-2 years later, made chairman of Appropriations subcommittee dealing with the space program/veteran affairs
-Wrote Captiol Offense with Marylouise Oates in 1996 about a new female senator
-Wood lost again due to bad advice and bad advertising; "The Crying Farmer"
-Emily's List disappointed and cut off Woods who went to lork at the Kennedy School at Harvard
-Woods became president of NWPC after cajolnig by Jody Newman
-Carol Mosely-Braun helped by Woods before by Emily's List
-Loretta Sanchez won against Robert Dornan without much helped from Emily's List
-1980's stalled Emily's List and women's progression, only two women won in 1988
-Martin became Bush's secretary of labor
-Feinstein in CA and Richards in TX ran fr gov in 1990 with Emily's List backing
-Ran against Williams who said "fog is like rape, if its inevitable, just relax and enjoy it"
-Also refused to shake Richards' hand at a public gathering
-Richards won against Williams with 51% to 49%
-Emily's List electing a governor almost tripled # of wmn in Emily's list, 12,00 in 1988 and 3,500 in 1990
-To be a candidate for Emily's List you must be prochoice and have a reasonable chance of winning
-1990's makes emily's List single most important endorsement for Dem woman candidate
-Used to be just Malcolm and Lichtman, her old boss at Women's Legal Dfense Fund
-1998: nearly 50,ooo members in all states, contributed $7.5 mill and helped elect 7 new pro-choice Dem women to the house
-Emily's List chaleneged as making divisions in the party.