Includes bibliographical references and index.

In 1985, aware of the near-total absence of women in Congress, Ellen R. Malcolm launched EMILYs List, a powerhouse political organization that seeks to ignite change by getting women elected to office. The rest is riveting history: Between 1986 - when there were only 12 Democratic women in the House and none in the Senate - and now, EMILYs List has helped elect 19 women Senators, 11 governors, and 110 Democratic women to the House. Incorporating exclusive interviews with Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Tammy Baldwin, and others, When Women Win delivers stories of some of the toughest political contests of the past three decades, including the historic victory of Barbara Mikulski as the first Democratic woman elected to the Senate in her own right; the defeat of Todd Akin ("legitimate rape") by Claire McCaskill; and Elizabeth Warrens dramatic win over incumbent Massachusetts senator Scott Brown. When Women Win includes Malcolm's own story - the high drama of Anita Hills sexual harassment testimony against Clarence Thomas and its explosive effects on womens engagement in electoral politics; the long nights spent watching the polls after months of dogged campaigning; the heartbreaking losses and unprecedented victories - but its also a page-turning political saga that may well lead up to the election of the first woman president of the United States.