EMILY'S List meeting in Chicago today: Sen. Klobuchar keynoting

WASHINGTON—EMILY’S’s List, a political force in getting Democratic pro-choice women elected to office, is meeting in Chicago on Friday, showcasing its candidates, mapping 2014 strategy and hearing from keynoter Sen. Amy Klobuchar D-Minn.

“We’ve come a long way,” Klobuchar told me when we talked about women running and winning elections on Thursday. “But there is so much further to go.”

Klobuchar said in her keynote, “I am really going to emphasize the impact of women in Congress.”

EMILY’S List, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Washington, backs viable pro-choice Democratic women and in November, it’s national list includes five governor races, six Senate contests and 24 House battles. The group also has a roster of selected state and local candidates and at the very other end is pushing for a female president

“We are building the pipeline from the ground up,”Stephanie Schriock, President of EMILY’s List, told me.

Schriock said the group would “like to see Hillary Clinton take this on,” but if she does not, there are Senators who could “step up” for 2016: Klobuchar, Sen. Elizabeth Warren D-Mass. and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand D-N.Y.

Fundraising is key to electoral success and so far EMILY’s List is $5.5 million ahead of where it was at this point in 2012, Schriock told me.

The EMILY’s List group Midwest Regional Conference is at the Radisson Blu Aqua on Columbus Drive.

Among those present:

Mary Burke, candidate for governor (WI)

Lucy Flores, candidate for Lieutenant Governor (NV)

Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator (MN)

Brenda Lawrence, candidate for U.S. House (MI)

Holly Mitchell, candidate for State Assembly (CA-47)

Sheila Simon, candidate for Comptroller (IL)

A Friday morning panel line up features Flores, Simon and Mitchell with the session moderated by Michelle McGrorty, EMILY’s List Midwest Political Director.

Another session features EMILY’s List Political Director Denise Feriozzi and political strategist Lisa Grove who will discuss “2014 research and mobilizing initiatives.”