Emerge Blog

Waiting to be asked to run? Heck no!

alisha — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:19:50 -0400

In mid July, I had the opportunity to attend the Young Democrats of America (YDA) Summer Conference in Washington, DC. The conference was extremely productive with many different training and networking opportunities but I have to say, the best part was the Women's Caucus Meeting. I was thrilled that the Caucus put together a "Women in Leadership" panel with speakers from both the Women's Campaign Forum and WUFPAC. The best part was that it wasn't the panelists that inspired me, but what the panelists asked the women in attendance to do. They had them stand up and state why they didn't wait to be asked to run. I thought maybe a few ladies would raise their hands but it was even more than what I expected. All of these women were running or had been elected to local and state office, and all of them didn't wait to be asked. Their stories and reasoning were all different, but each woman ran because they knew they were the best person for the job or that they could do better than the current office holder.

I felt so inspired during this meeting, all these young leaders were under the age of 36, from all corners of the county and they had all taken the initiative to run for office and make a difference in their respective communities. The other thing they had in common was that they had all not gone through a program like Emerge. Just think of what Emerge can continue to do as we recruit more women into our amazing network and train them to run for office. Change is in the air, women are starting to realize that being "asked" to run for office isn't needed; what is needed - a program like Emerge that helps women realize their potential in public service, hone their skills to win and continue to increase the number of Democratic women in public office. I came back from this conference realizing the difference Emerge has already made in so many lives and am excited at the potential we have to continue growing and reaching out to more women.

Bree Boehlke
Executive Director & Class of 2006
Emerge Arizona

I Want To Run For Office... Some Day

alisha — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:28:20 -0400

Part of my job as the Chair of the Wasco County (Oregon) Democrats is to make sure we have a full slate of Democratic candidates on the ballot. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. It seems crazy to me that in a county where the majority of registered voters are Democrats we have so few Democrats interested in running for office. But then it occurred to me, maybe they're like me-they have the skills, knowledge and desire to serve, but they aren't sure about the nuts and bolts of being a candidate and running a campaign.

Thanks to Emerge, female Democrats can now learn these skills and meet the people they'll need to know in order to run a winning campaign. Emerge Oregon has been a fantastic opportunity for me and I highly recommend the Emerge experience to any female Democrat considering a run for office.

I have known for a long time that I wanted to run for office...someday. That, after all, is the reason I applied to be in the Emerge Oregon Class of 2010. Just going through the interview process and being accepted into the class validated my potential as a viable candidate. Now, with less than a month to go until graduation, I've realized that someday might be sooner than I thought.

In an unusual turn of events, my county party has the opportunity to nominate a General Election candidate for County Commissioner, even though no Democrat ran in the May Primary. The Republican who won his party's nomination for the seat failed to receive the majority of write-in votes on the Democratic ballot, which left a Democratic vacancy on the General Election ballot. Thanks to everything I've learned and all the people I met through Emerge Oregon, I am in a great position to seek this nomination. Had it not been for Emerge, I would still be saying..."someday."

Darcy Long-Curtiss
Chair, Wasco County Democrats
Emerge Oregon Class of 2010

Hello America: It Matters Which Women We Elect to Office

alisha — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:02:33 -0400

When the results came in from the recent primary elections, the media went haywire calling it "ladies night" and a "new year of the women," primarily because several wealthy, high-profile conservative women were nominated, in some cases to run against female incumbents.

Well, in terms of proclaiming a new "year of the woman," we say, wait just one moment.

Yes, we need more women in office -- females make up 51 percent of the population and Congress only has 17 percent women -- so there is plenty of room for improvement, at the state and local level as well. And yes, as founders of Emerge America, an organization that trains Democratic women to run for office, we are thrilled that there are a significant number of female candidates running for office this year. However, we aren't prepared to call it the "year of the woman," unless those women who are elected care about the issues that will actually move a progressive agenda on issues like the environment, health care and the economy.

There is a long history of women taking advantage of the rights won by women who came before them, but who are hostile to progressive goals. Women actually fought against women's right to vote, women's sexual freedom, equal educational opportunity, and of course, the Equal Rights Amendment.

If we want to make our world a better place, we want candidates who care about our air and water, have empathy for our immigrant sisters from other countries, believe in equal pay for equal work and want to make government more transparent and responsive.

We must increase the number of women Democrats in elected office. When Democratic women are elected, they play a significant role in shaping progressive policies that will benefit women across the board, including poor women. These women candidates are more likely than men and their conservative counterparts to bring citizens into the political process, to opt for open government, and to be responsive to groups previously denied access to the benefits of society.

Women introduce more legislation and co-sponsor more bills than male members, but what kind of bills is also important. We want female leaders who will lead the charge on "women friendly" issues like child-care, and be at the forefront of policies on the economy, health care, the environment and human rights.

With President Obama's landmark health care reform, all Democratic female senators and members of the House except for one congresswoman ensured its victory. And the historic American Clean Energy and Security Act passed with a tight vote supported by 66 Democratic congresswomen's votes, while 40 Democratic congressmen opposed it.

We are not making the case that women are somehow inherently better than men. Research has steadily showed that diverse groups of people make better decisions than like-minded groups due to different perspectives and thought processes. To make the best policy decisions, we need women at every table and we need them in big numbers.

We also aren't making the case that women are somehow more moral than men in preferring progressive policies. Research at Stanford show that men prefer "hierarchy enhancing" policies and women are more supportive than men of "hierarchy attenuating policies," such as government-sponsored health care, guaranteed jobs for all or greater aid to poor children. They are more likely to agree with statements such as "if people were treated more equally, we would have fewer problems in this country." Women's preferences are aligned with a progressive agenda and relate to why Republican women sometimes cross party lines to support Democratic legislation.

While the United States holds itself out as a model democracy, it ranks 82nd in the world for women in elected office behind Mexico, China and Pakistan. We push other countries such as Iraq to insert a 25 percent quota for female representation into its constitution, but the United States opposes such requirements for its own government.

What's missing? Women who care need to be recruited and elected to public office. Emerge America is the only organization that gives Democratic women the tools to win: an in-depth training program and a powerful political network. Unlike Republican recruitment, we actively reach out to diverse female leaders and 40 percent of our graduates are women of color. Founded in 2002, Emerge is currently in nine states with plans to expand its program across the country. In such a short time close to 50 percent of our alumnae have already run for office and 60 percent of them have won.

Recently Arianna Huffington celebrated with hundreds of Emerge graduates and their supporters in San Francisco. Her essential message was that it is up to us to seize the moment: "We must all look for the leadership within ourselves and not wait for the knight on a white charger to come and save us."

That is what we are doing at Emerge: Providing the environment and the tools so that committed women with strong human values will look inside themselves and say, Yes, I want to make change. Getting trained and elected to office is one very important way to make that happen.

Marya Stark is the board chair and a founder of Emerge America. She is a principal at Allegory, Inc., a leadership and communications training company. Dorka Keehn is the board co-Chair and a founder of Emerge America. She is currently writing a book, 'Eco-Amazons,' on American women environmental leaders to be published in spring 2011.

http://www.alternet.org/news/147314/hello_america%3A_it_matters_which_women_we_elect_to_office

All I Need to Know I Learned in Second Grade

intern — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:21:42 -0400

My political career began at the age of seven--in second grade. Who would be our class' first student government representatives? School rules mandated that one girl and one boy be democratically chosen by our peers. In a swift, hand-raise vote, I won my first election.

High school was not as simple. I could not understand why I was often the only girl running for a position; and it bothered me that the boys could stand on stage, wear eccentric clothes, tell jokes-"I woke up this morning, looked in the mirror, and said 'Josh, put some pants on'"-and win elections. When a girl gave a speech, she could not appear too serious, for fear that the student body would deem her "rude;" she could not be too funny, as they might think she was "trying too hard;" she could not dress too nicely, because she'd be labeled "conceited," but she could not dress too casually, or she would be considered "unattractive."

Then there was Hillary. As I watched her accomplish what no other woman had, my empathy and admiration deepened, but so did my disappointment. It was like high school: when she laughed, she was "shrill;" the fabric of her pantsuits was more frequently discussed than her foreign policy stances; and her husband's indiscretions were usually of greater concern than her political ideology, which our society so badly needed. I thought back to second grade: if only it was understood that girls and boys were equally suited for the job.

Thirteen years have passed since second-grade, and I am bothered. This year, my running mate and I made University history when we were the first all-female "executive ticket" ever to be elected to office; I have only thirteen Democratic female role-models in the Senate; and I have to cross national borders to enjoy the leadership of a female president.

While I have managed to navigate gender disparities that hinder female involvement in leadership roles, I am not prepared to pass that burden on to daughters and granddaughters. I want Emerge America to teach me how to make more people think like second-graders--to know, without question, that both boys and girls must be elected.

Caitlin Meyer, Emerge America Intern

Red or Blue: Which Party Truly Needs Its Women?

alisha — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:26:02 -0400

We are intrigued by the sudden surge of Republican women candidates at the national level. As founders of EMERGE AMERICA, an organization that trains Democratic women to run for office, we are keenly aware of the ebb and flow of support for increasing the percentage of women in elected office. But if creating a more transparent government and moving a progressive agenda are the goals, increasing the number of women Democrats in elected office should be a central strategy.

Traditionally, women are viewed as more liberal than men. This gives the advantage to Democrat female candidates and hurts their Republican counterparts. When women are elected, they play a significant role in shaping progressive policy. They are more likely than men to bring citizens into the political process, to opt for open government, and to be responsive to groups previously denied access.

Women also introduce more legislation and co-sponsor more bills than male members. While female electeds lead the charge on "women friendly" issues like child-care, they also are at the forefront of policies regarding the economy, health care, the environment and human rights. Looking at the recent Senate land mine ban, 68 members supported it, which included 100% of the women but only 51% of the men. With President Obama's landmark health care reform, all Democratic female senators and members of the House except for one congresswoman insured its victory. And the historic American Clean Energy and Security Act passed with a tight vote supported by 66 Democratic congresswomen's votes, while 40 Democratic congressmen opposed it.

While the United States holds itself out as a model democracy, it ranks 82nd in the world for women in elected office behind Mexico, China and Pakistan. We push other countries such as Iraq to insert a 25% quota for female representation into its constitution, but the United States opposes such requirements for its own government and at 17% falls far short of its mandates for other countries.

What's missing? Women, like men, need to be recruited to run for public office. Emerge America is the only organization that gives Democratic women the tools to win: an in-depth training program and a powerful political network. Unlike Republican recruitment, we actively outreach to diverse female leaders and 40% of our graduates are women of color. Founded in 2002, Emerge is currently in 9 states with plans to expand its program across the country. In such a short time close to 50% of our alumnae have already run for office and 60% of them have won.

While supporting women candidates may seem a secondary concern for many, electing more Democratic women is the most effective long-term strategy for shaping and passing a progressive agenda and for creating a more transparent democracy.

Dorka Keehn is the Board co-Chair and a co-Founder of Emerge America. She is currently writing a book, ECO AMAZONS, on American women environmental leaders to be published in Spring 2011. Marya Stark is the Board Chair and a Founder of Emerge America.

This article can be found onthe Huffington Post.

The Fundraising Hurdle

Kiri — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:31:25 -0400

Our Emerge Kentucky class has just completed the fourth session and each one truly gets better and better. We have a class of twenty-four phenomenal women who are encouragers and supports of each other's efforts without reservation. I continue to be inspired and energized by these women who are following their passions and callings to serve.

Our May class was Fundraising and I must admit that I had quite a bit of trepidation as I thought of what the day might bring. We received outstanding training from true experts and were given the tools to enter into that "scary" place of fundraising. Since I am not currently running for office, I used what I'd learned to raise dollars for Emerge KY. In a few short minutes, I raised $125.00 and received a pledge for additional dollars! Wow! I did it. My first fundraising experience was a success!

As in previous classes, I once again I walked away with new skills and "ah-ha" moments. The most important one was simply this: If you believe in your mission and have a solid message, making "the ask" is the next logical step.

Dwinelva Z. Zackery

Emerge Kentucky

Class of 2010

Good News and Bad News

alisha — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:01:22 -0400

Because I'm a member of the Emerge Oregon class of 2010, I was recently asked to give a presentation to a local women's group about the past, present, and future of women in politics. As I've spent some time pulling together information that might be interesting to my audience, I've realized that there is both good news and bad news when it comes to the facts about women in politics today.

First, the bad news:

The US Senate and the US House of Representatives are both currently only 17% female. We rank 74^th in the world (tied with Turkmenistan, and behind Pakistan, China, and Iraq) in terms of the percentage of women in our legislature.
Nineteen states (including my own, Oregon) have no women in their Congressional delegations.
Only 6 states currently have female governors.
The average state House of Representatives is 25% women while the average state Senate is only 23% women.

And now for the good news:

The state of Maine actually has more women than men in its Congressional delegation. Both of its Senators (Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins) as well as one of its two Representatives are women.
New Hampshire is also a star in terms of the representation of women in office. Its Congressional delegation is 50% women (with one Senator and one Representative). New Hampshire is also the only state to have a state legislative body with more than half of its members made up of women - its state Senate is 54% female.
On average, the percentage of women in state legislatures has been increasing steadily (though very slowly) over the past 25 years. The average state legislature (counting both Senators and Representatives) was 14% women in 1985, 18% in 1990, 22% in 2000, and 24% today (data source: Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers).

But the best news of all is that today, we have organizations like Emerge that are committed to the idea that women bring a unique and valuable perspective to public office. Emerge gives women the encouragement, tools, and network needed to run and win. Because of my participation in Emerge, I have met dozens of inspiring women who are running at the local, state, and federal level. While the present state of women in politics may not be ideal, it's difficult not to feel hopeful about the future given the level of talent and commitment I see in my Emerge classmates and in the program's alumna and supporters.

Julie Fahey
2010 Class Member
Emerge Oregon

The Emerge Advantage

alisha — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 12:58:31 -0400

I first learned about Emerge from Sonoma City Councilwoman Laurie Gallian, who's a 2008 Emerge California graduate.

Over the last ten years or so, I've been asked several times to run for local office. I didn't, because either I wasn't interested in the particular office, or I didn't think the timing was right for me. I finally ran for a position in June 2006, when I was elected to the Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee. I had been asked to run for that too.

I have volunteered for many political campaigns and causes over the years. I was familiar enough with campaigning to know that there is so much to know and that there was a lot I still didn't know. So I took Laurie's recommendation to apply for the Emerge program. It has helped fill-in the gaps in my knowledge. I found particularly helpful the lesson on how to tie a personal story to why you are running for office.

I have also enjoyed meeting my classmates, who come from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. If not for Emerge, I wouldn't have met these amazing women. I see future leaders of our state, and look forward to watching their political careers rise.

Gina Cuclis
Emerge California Class 2010
Sonoma

Another "Link" To Make The Difference Together

alisha — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:06:12 -0400

Computers and the web have provided tools for less expensive, more efficient communication and outreach. I no longer have to use the mail, develop phone trees or broadcast faxes as organizing tools. During my campaign for County Supervisor, our team used email as a remarkable tool for communication: updating supporters on our progress, events, successes, and as a fundraiser. We could reach thousands of supporters with very little expense, and taking less preliminary effort than a mailer.

During one recent Emerge training day, the focus was on the opportunities and advantages of using the web for outreach. In my campaign, I was the strongest advocate for an evolving webpage, our e-mail blasts, and targeted fundraising. I am now working with Emerge sister Deb Fudge in her campaign for Supervisor, and finding that tools like Blogs and Facebook provide a way to quickly respond within hours or even minutes to a new issue or opportunity. I do wonder if the ease of instant communication may undercut the adage of "sleep on it", which can give a better perspective, or a more surgical response. But clearly the future is being redefined in nanoseconds, and the Emerge training was a great insight into the tools now available.

Aside from campaigns, the web is an amazing organizing tool. In the last month, I have also been helping a very dispersed rural area design their response to a problem in their neighborhood. Most of them already know each other, and had dealt with local issues in the past. But this time, a volunteer set up a Yahoo page that allowed them to gather all their information in one place, post new documents on the Project, have an interactive editing process for their issue testimony, create both open and secure pages, etc. And many of these people were just general email users prior to having a technology that allowed them to "virtually" work together. Within 48 hours they had a draft document up in the "clouds", had made 3,084 edits and prepared a presentation for delivery. They also used it as a morale booster - and to settle a few arguments. It was a "virtual" continuous neighborhood meeting / dialogue for over two weeks.

We are a tightly knit community, enormously dispersed on this bright blue planet. I know that Emerge provides another link that binds us in a unified mission. With this connectivity - no matter the distance that separates us, we will make a difference together.

Rue Furch
Emerge California
Class of 2010

Taking The Plunge

alisha — Mon, 24 May 2010 18:16:55 -0400

When my friend Bennie Doggett encouraged me to apply for Emerge Kentucky, I was skeptical. Nevertheless, I took " the plunge ". Accepting her advice and encouragement, I completed the application proccess and by God's grace, here I am! I'm a member of the inaugural class for Emerge Kentucky.

After the first class, I was sure that Bennie had lost her mind. There was no way that I could measure up to the intelligence and ingenuity of those women. There are lawyers, a judge, social workers, and women who have devoted years to community service and leadership in the class.

Now, after three classes, I realize that Emerge Kentucky is a fertile ground of opportunity and enrichment showing women like me how to make the seeds grow.

Brenda Simpson
Emerge Kentucky, Class of 2010