John,

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic collapse is an opportunity for a real leader to step up and guide our nation through this crisis. Yet the president continues to spread misinformation, espouse xenophobic rhetoric and attack other political leaders.

But in the face of this failure in leadership, what gives me hope are the elected officials who have stepped up – many of whom are Emerge Alumnae. These Democratic women have shown us each day that leaders matter – and that when we elect more women, our country is better off.

At the local level, San Francisco Mayor London Breed set the example by implementing shelter-in-place orders and activating emergency operations early on – the first big-city mayor to do so. In Massachusetts, District Attorney Rachael Rollins is advocating for victims of domestic violence by granting protective orders to those who request them.

Democratic women have also been leading in state legislatures. In Virginia, Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy called for implementing a vote-by-mail system for the November election, increasing unemployment benefits and expanding paid sick leave. Delegate Danica Roem successfully petitioned the United States Department of Agriculture to waive a rule that would make it harder for parents to get school meals for their children.

The level of leadership shown by Democratic women is evident in their clear-eyed and steady responses, and it underscores the importance of electing more of them to office. It also stands in stark contrast to what we’ve seen from the president and his administration.

This year will be another exciting one for Democratic women candidates on the ballot, and it’s clear that we need them more than ever before. If you support our mission to recruit and train more Democratic women to run for office – the kind of candidates who will show us real leadership in a crisis – please make a gift to Emerge right now and we’ll make it happen.

All the best,

A’shanti Gholar

President

Emerge