File: Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
Rebecca Holcombe
Updated at 1:06 p.m.
A national political organization devoted to electing pro-choice women to public office announced Tuesday that it has endorsed former education secretary Rebecca Holcombe in the Democratic primary for Vermont governor.
"Rebecca is a tireless advocate for education who understands the importance of investing in Vermont’s children and working families," EMILY's List president Stephanie Schriock said in a written statement.
The endorsement hardly comes as a surprise. Even before she
joined the race last July, EMILY’s List was
advising Holcombe from afar. According to Mairead Lynn, a spokesperson for the organization, it has already provided strategic guidance to the campaign, as well as budgeting and fundraising support.
The formal endorsement could yield additional resources for Holcombe as she competes with Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, Bennington attorney Patrick Winburn and several others for the Democratic nomination. A super PAC affiliated with EMILY’s List called Women Vote! could choose to make independent expenditures, such as television ad campaigns, on behalf of Holcombe.
EMILY's List has not had a winning record in Vermont in recent years. In 2016, it endorsed Kesha Ram for lieutenant governor and Sue Minter for governor. The former lost in the Democratic primary and the latter lost in the general election. In 2010, Deb Markowitz garnered the group's endorsement before losing to fellow Democrat Peter Shumlin in the party's primary.
Corrected June 23, 2020, at 3:15 p.m.: An earlier version of this story inaccurately described EMILY’s List’s actions in Vermont’s 2018 gubernatorial race. It did not endorse a candidate that year.