For Immediate Release
May 27, 2021
Contact
Allison Abney
allison@emergeamerica.org
Washington, D.C. — Emerge hosted Secretary Hillary Clinton, the Honorable Sara Gideon, as well as Emerge alums Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, former Virginia Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy and Colorado State Representative Brianna Titone, and Emerge Massachusetts Founding Board Member and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and more to celebrate and grow women’s political power across the country on Wednesday evening. Emerge Across America brought together representatives from each of the organization’s 27 affiliates, alums holding office, and other supporters of the organization.
“Running for office is exhilarating but it can also be lonely,” said Clinton. “It makes all the difference in the world to know that a group like Emerge has your back. They help demystify the process of running and provide access not only to the training and tools it takes to win but to the Emerge sisterhood.”
Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate Jennifer Carroll Foy and Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs discussed how the Emerge training was integral for them to run for office. Founding Emerge Massachusetts Board Member and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Emerge alum and Massachusetts State Representative Liz Miranda discussed how Emerge played a role in changing Boston and Massachusetts politics by supporting, training, and electing women of color. Three Emerge alums–Shenna Bellows, Shemia Fagan, Jena Griswold–serve as Secretary of State and discussed how their personal experiences inspired them to protect the right to vote for their constituents.
The program also included a day in the life of Maryland Delegate and Emerge Maryland alum Brooke Lierman where she juggled serving the needs of her community, constituents, and family. Watch here.
Emerge, the nation’s premier organization that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office, currently has more than 1,000 alums in elected office, and is working to exponentially expand women in elected and appointed office over the next 15 years, especially women of the New American Majority.
“At Emerge, we believe we must invest in women because having more of them at the table in government will help us to tackle critical issues that affect our families and the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said A’shanti F. Gholar, President of Emerge. “Women continue to be among our nation’s most visible and effective leaders, especially when it comes to building a more inclusive democracy, and they have shown that they are more than equal to the task of leadership. If we want our country to be inclusive, have more opportunities and create a level playing field for future generations, electing more women is a critical step.”
Emerge is focused on filling the Democratic talent pipeline with women of the New American Majority–Black, Brown and Indigenous women and women of color, as well as LGBTQ+, young, and unmarried women–because they are currently underrepresented in government but constitute a growing part of the country’s population and the electorate.
Emerge has trained more than 4,500 Democratic women to run for office and has committed to reaching 100,000 more women of the New American Majority over the next 15 years. There are currently 27 state affiliates, and the organization has impacted a total of 45 states, Washington, D.C. and territories.
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