Democrat Valarie Wilson picked up a big endorsement Friday when EMILY’s List announced it will support her candidacy for Georgia superintendent.
EMILY’s List is a high-profile, national group that backs female Democratic office-seekers. Support from EMILY’s List often opens up national fundraising opportunities for a candidate.
Wilson faces retired Irwin County educator Richard L. Woods in the superintendent’s race. As a Democrat, she is in a tough battle to win election in a state that currently has no Democrat in statewide office.
A poll of 1,578 likely voters conducted Aug. 24-25 for WRBL-TV and The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer showed that Wilson trails her Republican rival by about 4 percentage points — just beyond the poll’s margin of error.
A spokeswoman for EMILY’s List said the group would be providing a financial donation to the Wilson campaign, but she did not say how much or when that donation would be made. Wilson said she will work to get voters to see beyond party labels and that the EMILY’s List endorsement will help with that effort.
“I think party identification is real,” Wilson said. “We are looking at R’s and D’s instead of who is the best candidate. I’ve got to get my message out.”
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