Statement From Emerge President A’shanti F. Gholar: Special Election in Ohio

Red states show what we’ve been saying:

Democracy & abortion rights go hand in hand, and they win elections

Washington, DC— Regarding yesterday’s special election in Ohio, Emerge President A’shanti F. Gholar issued the following statement:

“In yet another Republican-controlled state, voters have shown that they want right-wing politicians to leave their democracy and their abortion rights alone. Yet again, freedom was on the ballot. Republicans keep trying to take freedom away from voters, and voters are turning out to vote no.

Americans see that Republicans have been using tactics like gerrymandering and packing the Supreme Court to control women and force their extreme views on the people. 

The way Republicans engineered yesterday’s election – in the middle of summer – to try to move the goalposts on affirming abortion rights for Ohioans is just the latest example in a long line of abuses of power. 

And what did the people of Ohio say? Not on our watch. 

Make no mistake: abortion rights and democracy are on the ballot this fall. Emerge will have over 200 alums on the November ballot, and we look forward to their victories and growing our movement to defend democracy in America by building, for the first time in our history, a reflective government. 

Why a reflective government? Because having a diverse body of women at the table means there are people in the room making laws and policies to protect reproductive rights and democracy.”

At Emerge, 71% of our candidates won in the November 2022 election. Our alums holding elected office have surged to 1200+ nationwide and our network has grown to 5500+ women and impacted 45 states and the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, record highs. 

Emerge’s new democracy building slate of training programs – Gavel In, Seated Together, and school boards – is uniquely focused on building reflective government for the first time in American history, as we cannot have a full fledged democracy without representation.

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About Emerge

Emerge has one goal: To increase the number of Democratic women in office who are reflective of the incredible diversity of the Democratic party by recruiting, training, and providing a powerful network. Since 2002, Emerge has trained over 5,500 Democratic women to run for office, and currently more than 1,200 Emerge alums serve in elected office. Emerge is committed to reaching 100,000 women of the New American Majority over the next 15 years, fostering a lift as you climb culture for women in politics, and repowering political structures. There are more than two dozen state affiliates, and the organization has impacted a total of 45 states, Washington, D.C. and territories.