Why Emerge California

Eighty-fourth in the world: that's where the United States ranks for women in elected office, behind Mexico, China and Pakistan.  In fact, women make up just 17% of the U.S. Congress.

California ranks in the top 16 for state legislatures and although both of California's US Senators are women, only 1 woman serves in statewide elected office in California, and we have never had a woman serve as governor.

A pool of highly qualified Democratic candidates is being left untapped.  Too often, women do not see themselves running for office - they don't think they are experienced enough or they just don't know where to start.

Emerge California is changing that!

Emerge California in a national context

Emerge California is part of a national movement to address the under-representation of women in elected office at the local, state, and federal level. Although the network is only eight years old, today, there are Emerge affiliates in nine states: Arizona, California, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Wisconsin. Click here to find out more about Emerge America.

Emerge already has a strong record of success:

• Emerge affiliates have trained more than 600 Democratic women to run for office;
• 40% of our graduates have run for elected office;
• 50% of these candidates have won!

Our growth is exponential: in 2010 alone, Emerge affiliates filled the pipeline with another 200 well-trained, Democratic women to run for office!