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Emerge California empowers Democratic women leaders who reflect the communities they serve to run for elected office —and WIN. This is our mission.
WHY? To change the face of power by electing leaders who have the life experience, passion and resolve to reimagine, rebuild and fight for a just and equitable world.
Emerge California’s signature program is a 6-month, intensive training program for Democratic women who are planning to run for elected office. We are intentional about recruiting Democratic women from groups that have been historically excluded from politics, including the New American Majority – Black, Brown and Indigenous women, women of color, LGBTQ+ women, young, and unmarried women. We seek to recruit and train leaders who reflect the communities they serve and have the life experiences that allow them to reimagine and rebuild our institutions in the fight for a just and equitable world.
Have YOU ever thought about changing the world as an elected leader?
To change the face of power in the fight for justice and equity, we are:
• Training Democratic Women Leaders
Emerge California trains Democratic women only, as we seek to bring the values of the Democratic Party to the halls of power.
• Training Women Leaders
The world is finally recognizing what we’ve known all along: women know how to lead.
The outcomes show that when you elect women, you are electing leaders who are bringing their lived experiences to the dais with them as they vote, as well as a value set that prioritizes collaboration, innovation, community and the common good.
If we want to live in a world that gives everyone the opportunity to succeed and recognizes the humanity of each and every one of us, we must elect more women.
• Building a Reflective Leadership
If we want elected leaders to reimagine and rebuild our institutions in a way that builds a just and equitable world, we must support and elect leaders who have the life experiences that allow them to do this.
As we fight for justice for Black Americans, we must elect more Black women to office. As San Francisco Mayor London Breed put it:
“We are here to take our experiences, our strength and everything that we represent, and use that to make different and better decisions, so that we can change the outcome of what’s actually happening with Black people, not just in San Francisco, but all over this country.”
We must also elect more women who belong to the New American Majority – Black, Brown and Indigenous women, women of color, LGBTQ+ women, young, and unmarried women, and women who reflect the communities they serve, in order to create, change and reverse policies that do not serve all Californians. In short, if we want our institutions and policies to change, we must change our policymakers.
In California, often considered the nation’s leader when it comes to Democratic values, women now hold a record high of 42% of the seats in the State Legislature, still leaving women underrepresented. The percentage of New American Majority women who hold elected office is even smaller. This means that the decisions that are impacting our lives on a daily basis are being made by the status quo.
Ready to answer the call and lead in elected office? If so, apply to train with Emerge California!
- In-Depth Training: Emerge California offers the only long-term, in-depth, intensive candidate training for Democratic women.
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- Holistic Training Approach: Emerge California’s program is holistic in its approach to training candidates, meaning we provide all the knowledge and resources you need – the “nuts and bolts” of being a candidate – to run a successful campaign. We address the issues, challenges and big questions you need to explore. And, we connect you to the leaders, elected officials, campaign experts and organizations you need to know as a Democratic candidate.
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- Training for Women: Running for office as a woman comes with a unique set of challenges, issues and hardships and we tackle these issues together. We also recognize and discuss the additional challenges that come with running for office as a woman from communities that have been historically excluded from politics, including the New American Majority – Black, Brown and Indigenous women, women of color, LGBTQ+ women, young, and unmarried women.
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- Training with a Purpose: Our vision is a just and equitable world that has been reimagined and rebuilt by elected leaders who have the experience, passion and resolve to fight. We are intentional about recruiting Democratic women from groups that have been historically excluded from politics because we know they will bring their life experiences into elected office to make institutional change. This is why we train, and this is why we do so with this purpose in mind. Woven throughout the training curriculum is a focus on how to fight for justice and equity as a candidate and elected leader.
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- The Emerge Sisterhood: As an Emerge California program member, you become part of a sisterhood. This sisterhood is a circle of support, built by a community bonded together with a sense of purpose. It is often cited by Emerge California alums as the reason why they run for office, and the reason why they win. As you embark on one of the hardest journeys of your life as a candidate, it is the Emerge sisterhood that will be there for you along the way.
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- Alumnae Network: The Emerge California alum network is made up of more than 850 women who are seeking to make change. While many are doing so through elected office, others are doing so as commissioners, leaders within the California Democratic Party, advocates, CEOs, nonprofit executive directors, scientists, professors and leaders across every sector in the State of California. Once you graduate from the Emerge California training, you have the opportunity to connect with the entire alum network. Additionally, you will be connected to the national alum network through Emerge, our national partner.