John, I’m Sarah Godlewski, Secretary of State in battleground Wisconsin – and I’m also a proud Emerge alum. 

I’m so grateful to all of our community members who joined Emerge online and in person in San Francisco at the Defenders of Democracy celebration. In case you missed it, I want to share my story with you to show just how much Emerge’s work matters right now. It will only take a few minutes, and you can watch the video right here.

Growing up, I didn’t see a career in politics in my future. But I’m the daughter of two public school teachers, and my parents always said that when you see something wrong, you’ve got to stand up and do something about it. 

Those words led me to my Emerge moment: I realized I didn’t have to ask permission to run for office. Instead, I could join an ambitious and powerful women-led movement to make a difference in politics. From fighting for affordable child care to protecting the right to vote, that difference is sorely needed at every level of public office. But there are still too many voices telling bold women leaders to sit down and be quiet. 

We can’t be quiet when our essential rights and our democratic institutions are under attack. That’s why I’m so proud to be a part of the Emerge community and to stand with my fellow alums at this crucial moment for our country. I hope you’ll watch my short video to learn more now and take some encouragement with you. 

Thank you for being a part of this community, 

Sarah Godlewski
Wisconsin Secretary of State

P.S. If you’d like to view the full event, including speeches from more of my fellow Emerge alums, you can do so here on our YouTube channel.