Democratic lawmakers launch PAC to elect more women to Congress

A group of female Democratic members of Congress wants to be a “major player” in closing the stubborn gender gap on Capitol Hill.

Seven Democratic representatives are forming Elect Democratic Women, a new PAC aiming to elect women to Congress, where today only 20 percent of members are women. The organization will make donations to female candidates and hopes in the future to spend money in their races as well.

“The need is very clear to every one of the women who are serving in Congress,” said Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), one of the founding members of the group. “We want to be a major player. We’re not doing this to have a couple thousand bucks we can give out.”

The effort grew out of months of conversations between a group of female members of Congress about how to best support candidates during the so-called Year of the Woman, said Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), who is chairing the new group. Though it is getting a late start this cycle, Frankel said the PAC hopes to help reinforce and further progress that women make in closing the gender gap in congressional representation this November.


https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/20/democrats-pac-elect-women-congress-829991