Andrea Dew Steele co-founded the original affiliate, Emerge California,[2] which was formed in 2002. Under Steele's leadership, Emerge was expanded nationwide in 2005.[3] Steele resigned from her position in May 2019.[4]
Emerge America added affiliates in 6 states in its first year and by the 2016 presidential election, it had affiliates in 23 states. The organization's strategy is to have affiliates in all 50 states by 2020.[1][5] Steele says the initial aim is for women to achieve 30% representation for women in government, noting evidence suggests this level passes a critical mass to effectively enact institutional change.[5] Emerge America has had 4,000 graduates, of which more 690 have been elected and are currently serving a political office, as of October 2018.[6]
A’shanti Gholar, the President and CEO, said enrollment has increased across the board since the 2016 presidential election, and some classes have seen attendance almost double.[7] Overall, Emerge has seen an 87% increase in the number of applications since the 2016 election.[8] Gholar notes that at the end of 2017, there were 427 women running for a position in the U.S. Congress, compared to 219 women running at the same time in 2015.[7] The organization advised Naquetta Ricks during her successful campaign in 2020 for the Colorado House of Representatives.[9]
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