With Shalala endorsement, EMILY's List hits trifecta in Miami congressional races
By MARC CAPUTO 05/18/2018 05:02 AM EDT
MIAMI — EMILY’s List, the largest Democratic group supporting women candidates, endorsed Donna Shalala in one of the party’s most coveted congressional seats, marking the first time it has three solid candidates in each of the Republican-held U.S. House seats in Miami.
The group’s support of Shalala — a former University of Miami president and longtime friend and appointee of the Clinton family — isn’t too much of a surprise because Shalala helped found EMILY’S List in 1985. Since then, the group says it has raised more than $500 million to ensure that more women who support abortion rights won office.
Behind the scenes, EMILY’s List has already played a big role in Shalala’s bid to replace outgoing Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in Florida’s 27th Congressional District.
The organization’s president, Stephanie Schriock, helped pressure one of Shalala’s onetime Democratic opponent, former Judge Mary Barzee Flores, to leave the 27th Democratic primary and instead challenge Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) in Florida’s 25th Congressional District. In between, in Florida’s 26th Congressional District, EMILY’s List had already pledged its full support to Debbie Mucarsel-Powell in her campaign against incumbent Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.).
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https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2018/05/18/with-shalala-endorsement-emilys-list-hits-trifecta-in-miami-congressional-races-427349