April 6, 2016
CONTACT: ERIN FORREST
608-577-2269; erin@emergewi.org
26 Emerge Wisconsin Alumnae Elected to 27 Local and State Offices Tuesday
Milwaukee, Wis.—Emerge Wisconsin, the state’s premier organization for recruiting and training Democratic women to run for office, announced today that 26 out of the 29 of their program’s participants and alumnae who were running for elected office won their races on Tuesday. This year’s Emerge Wisconsin candidates were some of the most successful ever and will be serving on city councils, county boards and school boards across Wisconsin. Their victories mark a major step forward towards the organization’s goal of seeing more Democratic women run for and elected to political office at all levels of government.
“I’m thrilled Emerge Wisconsin’s training program is equipping our graduates with the skills they need to launch their campaigns for public office and win,” said said Erin Forrest, executive director of Emerge Wisconsin. “I’m excited to leadEmerge Wisconsin and spearhead the work we’re doing to get more Democratic women to run for elected office. Our organization is training the political leaders of tomorrow. I can’t wait to see the great things these exceptional women go on to accomplish in their public service careers.”
The Emerge Wisconsin alumnae who were elected last night, include:
Julie |
Allen |
Lincoln County Board |
Mary |
Arnold |
Columbus School Board |
Carousel |
Bayrd |
Dane County Board |
Carol |
Beals |
Grant County Board |
Leah |
Blough |
Kenosha County Board |
Tammy |
Bockhorst |
Shorewood Village Board |
Jenni |
Dye |
Dane County Board |
Catherine |
Emmanuelle |
Eau Claire City Council |
Sharon |
Hampson |
La Crosse County Board |
Kara |
Hawes |
Rock County Board |
Kari |
Ives |
Chippewa County Board |
Julie |
Jansch |
Green Bay School Board |
Peg |
Jerome |
La Crosse County Board |
Tara |
Johnson |
La Crosse County Board |
Emily |
Kenney |
Wauwatosa School Board |
Mary |
Kolar |
Dane County Board |
Chantia |
Lewis |
Milwaukee Common Council |
Jackie |
Moore |
Ashland City Council |
Cathy |
Myers |
Janesville School Board |
Marcelia |
Nicholson |
Milwaukee County Board |
Wendy |
Stallings |
Sussex Village Trustee |
Shelia |
Stubbs |
Dane County Board |
Sequanna |
Taylor |
Milwaukee County Board |
Tina |
Tryggestad |
La Crosse County Board |
Mary |
Von Ruden |
Sparta City Council |
Mary |
Von Ruden |
Monroe County Board |
Hayley |
Young |
Dane County Board |
“These women are proof positive that more women will run for office if we encourage them and give them the support they need to succeed,” said Emerge Wisconsin Board Chair, Diane Odeen. “When women run for public office they bring fresh new perspectives to the political arena, highlight issues that are often sidelined in male-dominated elections and underscore the need for more diversity at all levels of government. Everyone benefits when more women decide to lead.”
Emerge Wisconsin’s training program offers Democratic women who want to run for public office a unique opportunity. Women who are accepted receive 70 hours of in-depth education over six months that inspires them to run for office and gives them the tools to win. The program’s trainers are comprised of an elite team of campaign consultants, advisors and staff from all over the country, who have been involved in some of the most successful campaigns and initiatives seen in recent election cycles. Participants learn from these experts and develop practical knowledge in areas such as public speaking, fundraising, campaign strategy, labor and political endorsements, voter contact, media and messaging and more. Candidates also meet an array of dynamic women who hold elected and appointed office and become a part of a supportive network, which includes a national association of Emerge alumnae, the Emerge board and advisory council members.
For information on Emerge Wisconsin or to learn how to apply for their training program, please visit their website at www.emergewi.org.
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About Emerge Wisconsin
Emerge Wisconsin is one of 16 state affiliate organizations in the Emerge America national network. Other Emerge states include, Arizona, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Virginia. Since the first Emerge America state was launched in 2002, the organization has trained almost 2,000 Democratic women to run for office. To date, more than half of Emergealumnae have run for political office or been appointed to local boards or commissions, and 70 percent of those who have run for office have won.