Emily's List announced Monday its nominees for the 2019 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award, Refinery29 can exclusively report. The yearly award, named in honor of former Arizona congresswoman and gun safety advocate Gabrielle Giffords, aims to "celebrate extraordinary woman serving in state or local office."
The nominees for this year are California Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, Virginia Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy, Florida state Rep. Margaret Good, Nevada Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui, Madison City Councilwoman Arvina Martin, and New York Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou. The recipient will be chosen with community input and online voting opens today. (You can go here to vote for your preferred nominee.)
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"Amidst a nation of inspiring women leaders, these elected officials stand out for their commitment to service and improving their communities," Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List, told Refinery29 in a statement. "Public servants in state and local offices are the backbone of policies that impact our everyday lives, including access to affordable health care, improvements to public education, job creation, and more. All of these women shine as fighters for their communities. EMILY’s List is proud to honor them for their accomplishments and we look forward to seeing what bright futures they have in store."
The 2019 class of nominees stands out for being a diverse crop of pro-choice Democratic women working hard to enact change from their respective elected offices. According to Emily's List, the award is meant to honor "a woman who demonstrates the sort of commitment to community, dedication to women and families, and determination and civility that have been the highlights of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ career, in and out of office."
Previous recipients include Democratic rising political stars such as former Georgia gubernatorial candidate and House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, Rep. Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts, and Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx from Illinois.