54% of Emerge America Graduates Win, Despite Republican Wave
San Francisco, Calif—Emerge America (www.emergeamerica.com) ran 172 women at every level in 14 states across the country on Tuesday. Of those 172, an impressive 54% won their races. Some of the bright spots: • With the election of Kathleen Taylor, Emerge Oregon now has seven women serving in… Read More
Starting Out With Emerge
I’ve only taken part in one Emerge weekend and I am already humbled by the connections that this amazing network has provided me. These women are truly inspiring! Over the course of the past three weeks, I have been invited to take part in numerous candidate meet and greet events, have witnessed one of my sisters present her views at a local town hall via Facebook video, have shared in the joy of two other sisters as they host an inaugural gathering of progressive young professionals, and have had the pleasure of sharing in personal triumphs such as 5kraces and new job opportunities. Read More
Happy Women's Equality Day (But don't celebrate too soon)!
Did you know that August 26th is Women's Equality Day? Yep, 94 years ago today, the 19th Amendment was passed, finally giving women the right to vote. Yet, here we are, still fighting for equality on so many fronts. Pay equity, paid family leave, control over our own reproductive health care... The list goes on and on. Read More
Emerge America is looking for interns!
If you are enthusiastic about the advancement of women in politics, then this is the internship for you! At Emerge, you will be an important member of a national network that is transforming the face of American politics. Who We Are Emerge America is a candidate training program for Democratic women. The essential step for Democratic women who want to run for public office – Emerge is the only in-depth, seven-month training program that inspires women to run and gives them the tools to win. Read More
You Should Run! by Nicole Mace, Emerge Vermont Class of 2014
During the second weekend of Emerge training, I decided to stay with a good friend and colleague, who lived close by and who I needed to do some catching up with. After an exhausting and exciting day of stump speech writing and campaign finance 101, I found myself winding the back roads of Windham County, eagerly looking forward to a meal and good conversation with my friend. “I have something to tell you. I’ve been asked to run for an open seat in the VT House of Representatives. I think I’m going to do it. What do you think?” she asked. “You should RUN!!” I squealed. “You have to RUN!” I immediately ran to my bag to grab my Emerge binder so I could start sharing tips and tools. I think she was a little taken aback by my enthusiasm, but I was thrilled to hear that she was ready to run – and I was ready to do whatever I needed to do to support her candidacy. Read More
Your Candidacy Begins Today
As we walked into the room Saturday morning for Day 2 of Emerge Vermont, I think it's safe to say that we were all just a little outside our comfort zones, or at least on the edge of them. This is a good thing. This is what I'm here for, and what makes this training so worth it to me. Read More
The Table of Women
I recalled the day, that 1st day as I became a member of the Emerge VT Sisterhood, not only the Emerge VT Sisterhood, but the Emerge America Sisterhood. The empowerment and fear it brought to my mind. The idea being that we as women compare ourselves to the women we surround ourselves with. I focused in and listened to the stories these women brought to the table. I was at The Table of Women. We build one of these every time we surround ourselves with other women. My gut reaction was to stand up and leave. There was no way I could ever match up. Read More
The Energy in the Room
We spent the bulk of our two hour drive up to the state capital discussing the events of our town’s Representative Town Meeting the previous week. Riding shotgun was a fellow member of Emerge Vermont’s inaugural class; we’d met at town meeting during a break of Brattleboro’s yearly marathon wrangle/tangle session. Clearly policy geeks, 12 hours’ worth of town meeting was not nearly enough for us. Read More
Gender Sterotypes
“I like your hair,” my partner said. “And I like how your boots are exactly the same color as your shirt.” It was our first day of training as members of the inaugural class of Emerge Vermont. Our mid-day assignment was to tell each other what we liked about the other person. I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to my partner’s appearance-based compliments other than to say, “Thank you.” Read More
My American Dream
My American DreamBy Joana Garcia, Emerge Virginia class 2014 All of us have heard about the “American Dream.” There are many versions of the dream depending on you and your background and how you envision your future. My American Dream came from my parents. I have lived the “American Dream.” I am a retired Naval Officer, a student at George Mason University, a wife to a retired Air Force Officer and a mother of two wonderful boys. Read More