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With a 70% win rate so far this election, Emerge to host new trainings for future candidates
Washington, DC (November 7, 2024) — Emerge, the nation’s largest network of women elected officials and candidates, is proud to announce a number of significant wins across the country. Despite Vice President Harris’ election loss, the organization is recognizing the Emerge women who will be heading to Washington, state capitals, and other elected offices to defend democracy at every level of government. Emerge, which came out of Harris’ bid for district attorney in the early 2000s, had 570 alums on the ballot, with around 70% of them having won their races so far and more expected to join them. This includes the 10 alums that will be part of the Emerge Congressional Caucus, with two more races left to call, as well as women elected to state legislatures, mayor’s offices, school boards, and more critical state and local elected offices.
“Emerge alums are on the frontlines of Congress and state and local governments, ready to act as a firewall to protect our most critical freedoms,” said A’shanti F. Gholar, president of Emerge. “The result of this election doesn’t change Emerge’s work, and alongside our alums, we will continue to fight for the rights of every American, put forward policies that benefit everyone, and work to ensure a better future for the next generations. Progress is not always easy and, at Emerge, we know what it takes: training to win.”
Emerge has steadily worked to recruit, train and elect women to Congress, with a caucus that will be 10 alums-strong. They are Former Phoenix City Council Member Yassamin Ansari (AZ-3), Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL), State Rep. Dr. Maxine Dexter (OR-03), State Sen. Sarah Elfreth (MD-3), Rep. Val Hoyle (OR-4), Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-07), Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Rep. Kim Schrier (WA-08), and Rep. Emilia Sykes, (OH-13) with candidates Janelle Bynum (OR-5) and Lateefah Simon (CA-12) still in races yet to be called.
Emerge women are transforming every level of government:
70% of Emerge’s state legislative candidates have won their elections so far.
In Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, 13 Emerge alums and 10 Emerge alums, secured seats in the state legislatures respectively.
In Nevada, Hanadi Nadeem won her race for Assembly District 34 and will be the first Muslim woman in the Nevada Legislature.
In New Mexico, Cindy Nava won her bid for the State Senate in the 9th District and became one of the first former DACA recipients to win public office.
In Virginia, two Emerge alums, Alyia Gaskins from Alexandria and Michelle Davis-Younger from Manassas, won their Mayoral elections. Gaskins will be the first Black woman mayor of Alexandria and all five of Northern Virginia cities (Alexandria, Manassas Park, Manassas, Falls Church, and Fairfax) will be led by women for the first time.
Since its founding, Emerge has been on a trajectory to build a woman-led America by recruiting, training, developing, and electing women leaders nationwide at all levels of government. The organization is hosting two Step Forward trainings for women just starting to think about running for office on November 8 and November 18.
As an organization that centers women of the New American Majority (NAM) in our training programs—Black, Brown, and, Indigenous women and women of color, as well as young, LGBTQ+, and unmarried women— Emerge alums are candidates of their communities, meaning that they are exactly the type of down-ballot candidates who drive the high voter turnout that propels candidates up and down the ticket the ticket to victory.
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Emerge is the nation’s largest network of Democratic 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 6,000 program alums nationwide and 1,200 alums currently serving at all levels of government.