Candidates in an early race for EMILY’s List backing

Nov. 19--BOSTON -- A Washington group that backs Democratic women candidates who support abortion rights is expected to endorse one of several vying to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, opening up a mini-election ahead of next year's primaries.

State Sen. Barbara L'Italien of Andover, Rep. Juana Matias of Lawrence, Lori Trahan of Westford, and Alexandra Chandler of Haverhill are among a crowded field of Democrats who've signaled plans to run for the Merrimack Valley congressional seat. All four are seeking an endorsement from EMILY's List, which is expected to get behind a candidate early next year.

Lucinda Guinn, vice president of campaigns at EMILY's List, said the group wants to keep the congressional seat in a woman's hands.

"Throughout her career, Niki Tsongas has been a champion for women and families in her district," Guinn said in a statement. "We will be working to ensure that she is succeeded by an equally tough and passionate woman leader -- and we are excited to see several qualified, impressive candidates stepping up to run."

"As this race continues to take shape, we will be working with all of these women to make certain that they have the resources they need to run smart, competitive campaigns," she added.

An EMILY's List endorsement is seen as a coup, since it connects a candidate to a nationwide network of more than 2 million donors who could give money directly to a campaign. It also brings with it possibilities for advertising, phone banks and other resources that can help a candidate win a primary and general election.

"They can make a candidate viable, because the money tends to follow an endorsement," said Erin O'Brien, chairwoman of the political science department at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. "In a primary, money often signals how the press and others treat candidates. It becomes a proxy for viability."

EMILY's List has helped elect several Massachusetts candidates to Congress, including Tsongas and U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, a Melrose Democrat.

It also gets involved in state and local races, most recently backing Democrat Cindy Friedman, who won a state Senate seat from Middlesex County in a special election in July, and Democrat Yvonne Spicer, who won Framingham's first mayoral election last week.

L'Italien, Matias and Trahan

Representatives of the group have visited the Merrimack Valley to interview three candidates -- L'Italien, Matias and Trahan -- who've traveled separately to Washington for meetings. A spokeswoman for the group said it stays in touch with candidates during the endorsement process to gauge the effectiveness of their campaigns.

Chandler, a Haverhill Democrat and transgender woman who jumped into the race on Wednesday, will be also considered for an EMILY's List endorsement, a spokeswoman said.

At least a dozen Democrats and a Republican have shown interest or declared their candidacies in the race to represent the district, which sprawls along the New Hampshire border from Winchendon Springs to Haverhill and south to Marlborough.

Other Democrats in the race include Dan Koh and Nadeem Mazen, both of Andover; Abhijit "Beej" Das of Lowell; Steve Kerrigan, of Lancaster; Louis Marino, of Fitchburg; Terrance Ryan, of Westford; Rufus Gifford, of Concord; and James Littlefield, of Boxboro.

On the Republican side, Rick Green, a Pepperell businessman and GOP activist, is also seeking a nomination for the 3rd District seat.

If the group endorses Chandler, she won't be the first transgender candidate it has supported. EMILY's List endorsed Democrat Danica Roem, who last week won a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates and will be the first transgender person to serve in that state's Legislature.

EMILY's List was founded in 1985 by Ellen Malcolm for the purpose of electing Democratic women who support abortion rights, according to the group's website. Its name is an acronym for the phrase, "Early money is like yeast," because it helps the dough rise. In 2016, the group raised nearly $50 million and spent a similar amount on federal, state and local candidates, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

Not surprisingly, all four women vying for the group's endorsement say they believe they are the best choice to succeed Tsongas, who in 2007 became the first Massachusetts woman elected to Congress in 25 years. Tsongas, Clark and Sen. Elizabeth Warren are the only women in the state's 11-member congressional delegation.

L'Italien said she has a strong record as a pro-choice lawmaker representing the Merrimack Valley and hopes to win the EMILY's list endorsement if she decides to stay in the race.

She said the group reached out to her a "less than a half hour" after Tsongas announced in August that she wasn't seeking reelection.

"EMILY's List understands that I'm the one who has represented a good portion of this district over the last 15 years," she said. "They know that I've been doing the work, that I have shown a commitment to the district and understand what it means to be a good lawmaker who can get things done."

"I'd really like to see this seat continue to be represented by a woman," she said. "It's critically important because women are facing so many challenges."

L'Italien, whose campaign is still in exploratory mode, expects to make a formal decision in the next few weeks about whether to stay in the race.

Matias, a first-generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was one of the first Latinas elected to the state Legislature, toppling Rep. Marcos Devers a three-term incumbent. She, too, supports abortion rights and cites a record of supporting access to reproductive health care and other women's rights issues.

While an EMILY's List endorsement would help her campaign, she said her focus is on health care, jobs and other issues that affect both genders.

"I'm not running because I'm a woman, I'm running because the people of this district aren't getting their fair share -- men and women," she said.

Chandler, a Navy veteran who has worked for the Department of Defense, said she too is seeking an endorsement and believes her background in community health care and experience transitioning from a man to a woman gives her a unique perspective on reproductive rights and other pressing national issues.

"As a transgender woman, the issue of autonomy over our bodies couldn't be more personal or relevant," she said. "I will be a ferocious advocate for women's health."

A former chief of staff for ex-Congressman Marty Meehan, Trahan also said her politics align with the EMILY's List agenda. She said many woman are motivated to run for office because they believe hard-fought rights are under siege by President Donald Trump and a GOP-led Congress.

"Like a lot of women, I wake up every day feeling assaulted," she said. "Reproductive rights, access to birth control, equal pay -- they're all under attack."

She notes that women represent more than half the U.S. population but account just 19 percent of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"I want to shift that imbalance," Trahan said. "Having more women in Congress banging on the table, defending our rights and preserving access to health care and education is what we need in Washington."

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group's newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhi.com.

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