EMILY's List Announces 'Madam President' Campaign

May 6, 2013 —EMILY's List has launched a multi-year campaign aimed at electing a female president in 2016, PBS NewsHour's "The Rundown" reports. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY's List, announced the campaign -- called Madam President -- on Thursday at the National Press Club (Burlij, "The Rundown," PBS NewsHour, 5/2).

Schriock predicted that "2013 will be the rise of the woman mayor. In 2014, we have women all over the country looking to take over governor's mansions," adding, "And, well, there's really only one place to go from there" (Weiner, "Post Politics," Washington Post, 5/2).

In reference to former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Schriock noted that "there is one name that seems to be getting mentioned more than others" as a female presidential candidate. She added, "We do not know if [she] is going to run, but we are hopeful that she may."

Schriock said the group has a "deep bench" of potential candidates, including HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, former Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), among others ("The Rundown," PBS NewsHour, 5/2).

Polls Show Support for Idea of Female President, Clinton as Democratic Nominee

EMILY's List also released the results of a poll that found that 86% of voters in battleground states believe the U.S. is ready for a female president, while 72% think it is likely that the next president will be a woman.

The poll -- conducted by Anzalone Liszt Grove Research -- found that respondents thought female candidates are as capable or more capable than men on nearly all issues. Male candidates were viewed as slightly more capable on two issues: national security and working with U.S. allies ("Post Politics," Washington Post, 5/2).

Meanwhile, a separate Quinnipiac University poll found that Clinton is Democrats' preferred choice for the 2016 presidential ticket, the Miami Herald reports.

The poll surveyed 650 Democrats across the country. The results showed that 65% of respondents would vote for Clinton in a presidential primary, followed by 13% who would back Vice President Joe Biden and 4% who would support New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Fourteen percent of respondents were undecided.

Schriock noted that Clinton was the only female candidate mentioned in the Quinnipiac poll (Memoli, Miami Herald, 5/2).