A few weeks ago I wrote about the importance of endorsements from important political action committees. Congresswomen Ann Kirkpatrick is vacating her House seat in order to challenge Senator John McCain for his seat. Representative Kirkpatrick has a long uphill battle ahead of her but her recent endorsement by EMILYs List will aid her campaign. EMILY's List is a PAC that is focused on getting more Democratic, pro-choice women elected to office. This endorsement gave Kirkpatrick a boost in her campaign and opened her up to a network of thousands of donors looking to support women like her.
This week EMILYs List endorsed another female candidate. Kirkpatrick was relatively well know, and although she faces a challenging race, she is a credible and experienced candidate. The candidate EMILYs List endorsed this week, Kathleen Matthews, is perhaps in need of more support that Kirkpatrick is. Matthews is running for Maryland's 8th District House seat, vacated by Chris Van Hollen as he runs for the open Senate seat. There are a lot of interesting things about this endorsement. First, if Matthews were elected as the representative she would be the first women elected from Maryland's 8th District. Matthews also has the opportunity to run for the open seat because Senator Barbara Mikulski is retiring at the end of her term, leaving the open Senate seat available for representative Van Hollen to run for. It's a nice touch, considering Senator Barbara Mikulski was the very first candidate EMILYs List ever endorsed back in 1986. EMILYs List has also endorsed Representative Donna Edwards who is challenging Van Hollen for Mikulski's seat.
Kathleen Matthews is an interesting endorsement for other reasons. She has no history or experience with public office. But that's not uncommon for EMILYs List. The PAC has consistently worked to bring fresh faces into the political realm. EMILYs List works to give women access to political opportunity as well as the necessary means to get elected to office. EMILYs list is supported by thousands of donors and serves as an important network for women entering the political arena. That's why Matthews is an ideal candidate for the PAC to endorse. Matthews is a news anchor for WJLA-TV. Although she might not have political experience, Matthews is a former Marriot executive and as a news anchor has consistently focused on issues concerning women and families such as "jobs, education, health care, and equality in the workplace" (Roll Call). She also spent much of her time as an executive trying to advance opportunities for women in business. She is the exactly the candidate EMILYs List seeks out and Matthews hopes this endorsement will help her distinguish herself from the other, mostly Democratic, candidates running for the seat.
The endorsement from EMILYs List has already improved Matthews credentials and given her a significant let up when it comes to fundraising. But why is the support of political action committees like EMILYs List so beneficial to new candidates like Matthews? The answer isn't complicated. EMILYs List is a well established and credible PAC that has opened doors for so many women. This isn't something that is synonymous only to EMILYs List, however. Endorsements from PACs are vital for Congressional candidates that have never run before. Well established members of Congress don't need the same help when it comes to fundraising and support. However, when you're a relatively unknown and unexperienced candidate, the financial support and endorsement from a PAC can go a long way. It provides financial support, a network of other donors and endorsements, and a group of primary supporters that are devoted to specific issues. For Kathleen Matthews an endorsement from EMILYs List will give her more credibility and support amongst women but also access to other political action committees and donors that are committed to women and family issues. In a political era where incumbency seems to be the biggest determinant of electoral success, many think that political interest groups might not matter as much. Thats true, they might not be a significant factor for experienced members of Congress. But for a new, unknown candidate, these groups can make all the difference in a campaign.
Roll Call:
http://atr.rollcall.com/kathleen-matthews-scores-emilys-list-endorsement/
1 comment:
I agree that Matthews seems like an ideal candidate to receive support from EMILY's List. A few weeks ago I wrote a post about Katie McGinity, a former gubernatorial candidate and environmental advisor in the Clinton administration, who is currently running to defeat incumbent Senator Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania. While you Matthews has little experience in politics, whereas McGinty has quite an impressive resumé, they commonality is that both of them lack political name recognition. Increased funding of their campaigns is key to helping them build this recognition, which will prove necessary in both of their races. EMILY's List, with it's name standing for "early money is like yeast" because it 'makes the dough rise,' could be very valuable to raising this money and thus helping these two campaigns secure victory.
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