FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@emergeamerica.org
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS JOINS EMERGE IN CELEBRATING 20 YEARS; HIGHLIGHTS ORGANIZATION’S WORK IN KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Emerge celebrates 20 years of helping women run for office and win
Vice President Harris also used the address to rebuke the actions of the Trump administration
Event photos are linked here and can be attributed to Chloe Jackman Photography
SAN FRANCISCO (MAY 1, 2025) – Vice President Kamala Harris delivered the keynote address Wednesday evening at an event honoring the 20th anniversary of Emerge, the nation’s largest network of women elected officials and candidates. In her remarks, Harris spoke out against the actions of the Trump administration in its first 100 days and highlighted the key role of Emerge in today’s political landscape.
“Emerge — you have a special role to play. Organizing is as important as ever. Mobilizing is as important as ever. Running for office is as important as ever,” said Vice President Harris. “This country is ours. It doesn’t belong to whoever is in the White House. It belongs to you. It belongs to us. It belongs to We the People.”
A’shanti F. Gholar, president and CEO of Emerge, introduced Harris at the 20th Anniversary Gala, which welcomed over 400 in-person attendees.
“[Vice President Harris] is one of the main inspirations for our work and why Emerge exists,” said Gholar. “Her first campaign for district attorney started right here in San Francisco and helped spark the movement that became Emerge, when her inner circle saw the need for a program to train women on how to run for office and win. That is precisely what Emerge was created to do, and is what we’ve been doing for 20 years.”
Gholar, who has been involved with Emerge since 2006, is in her fifth year leading the organization. To date, Emerge has trained over 6,500 women, with 1,200 actively serving in elected office across the country.
Emerge alums who delivered remarks at the event included former Secretary of the Interior and candidate for New Mexico Governor Deb Haaland, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, former U.S. Congresswoman and Democratic nominee for Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, Michigan State Senator and candidate for U.S. Senate Mallory McMorrow, former Houston City Council Member and candidate for U.S. Congress in TX-18 Amanda Edwards, activist and candidate for U.S. Congress in AZ-07 Deja Foxx, and New Mexico State Senator Cindy Nava.
Other special guests in attendance included Lieutenant Governor of California and Emerge alum Eleni Kounalakis, Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin, former U.S. Congresswoman Katie Porter, and former U.S. Congresswoman and Mayor-elect of Oakland Barbara Lee.
Emerge will continue celebrating 20 years of the organization’s work at upcoming events throughout the remainder of the year.
Media inquiries can be directed to media@emergeamerica.org
About Emerge
Emerge is the nation’s largest network of women elected officials and candidates. Emerge was born out of Kamala Harris’ bid for district attorney in the early 2000s when her inner circle saw the need for a program to train women on how to run for office and win. Today, they have more than 6,500 program alums nationwide and 1,200 alums currently serving at all levels of government.