Emerge America

Emerge America is the premier training program for Democratic women.

We inspire women to run, we hone their skills to win.

Our goal is clear: to increase the number of Democratic women in public office.

News Articles

Mar 26 2013

School of Public Affairs, American University

Girls Just Wanna Not Run: The Gender Gap in Young Americans' Political Ambition is the latest research by Jennifer Lawless and Richard L. Fox, released in March, 2013. To read this policy report, please click on the link above or download the report on the pdf link below.

Mar 19 2013

More Elected Women Emerging as a Result of National Training Program

Elect Women

By Kathy Groob, ElectWomen.com

More women are holding elected office as a result of the Emerge America training program. Working now in twelve states across the country, 185 Emerge trained women ran for public office, 121 on the general election ballot in November and 106 of them won.

Jan 3 2013

A Brief History of Women in Congress

The Week

How long has Congress had female members?

Women have served in Congress since suffrage activist Jeannette Rankin of Montana won a seat in 1916 — four years before women won the right to vote. The feminist movement of the 1960s brought in a new wave of congresswomen, including Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected, and Bella Abzug, one of the first to advocate gay rights. "Shirley and Bella were not what the male members of Congress had come to expect from a female colleague," said former Rep.

Oct 21 2012

Women in Binders Belong in Power

San Francisco Chronicle

By Karen Middleton

"Binders full of women" was a hit in last week's presidential debate, but Gov. Mitt Romney had his facts wrong - again. Women - not Romney's staff - created those "binders full of women" to ensure that women were considered for posts in his administration. The women in those binders represent talented leadership that can be key to our collective success in our capitols and boardrooms.

Romney said, "I went to my staff - gosh, can't we find some women? Can you help us find folks?" But Romney didn't recruit.

Oct 17 2012

'Binders Full of Women' Sweeps Social Media

San Francisco Chronicle

By Carla Marinucci

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's comment during Tuesday's presidential debate about gathering "binders full of women" for possible hires when he was Massachusetts governor spiraled into the social media stratosphere within minutes.

Oct 16 2012

Women Take Their Case to the Ballot

The New York Times

By Luisita Lopez Torregrosa

NEW YORK — This is the year when, after a long period of political stagnation, a record number of American women — feminists, liberals, pro-choice middle-of-the-roaders, conservatives — got off the sidelines and stepped up to run for office.

“We’d been going downhill,” said Karen Middleton, president of Emerge America, a 12-state donor-funded group that trains female Democratic candidates. “Now the number of women running for Congress could break all records” for women in the U.S.

Aug 23 2012

On Party, Platform and Power: Democrats Are Good for Women

The Huffington Post

By Karen Middleton

I have had a lot of conversations with voters who don't like political party politics and who don't see a big difference between Republicans and Democrats. There is a call for everyone to just get along and meet somewhere in the middle (which never actually turns out to be in the middle).

I have always believed, and this week my belief was reconfirmed, that there is indeed a significant difference between political parties. At the center of these differences are the core values of each party.

Aug 21 2012

The Wake-up Call

The Huffington Post

By Karen Middleton

I had another "Wake-up Call" this week. No, not from the hotel computer, but another motivating conversation that keeps me working every day to change the face of American politics by electing more Democratic women to public office. The wake-up call is common in my work.

Apr 9 2012

The War Room with Jennifer Granholm

http://current.com/shows/the-war-room/videos/women-in-politics-its-time-to-step-...

Mar 5 2012

Women and the Leadership Gap

Newsweek: The Daily Beast

It’s been almost a half-century since the modern women’s movement began. So why aren’t more women in positions of power? Leslie Bennetts reports.

When a Congressional committee hearing presented an all-male panel of witnesses to discuss female contraception last month, Rep Carolyn Maloney made news by demanding, “Where are the women?”