'Electable you:' A political powerhouse, Emerge Oregon, trains women Democrats to run for office

When Shannon Isadore applied for Emerge Oregon’s 12-week class, she had no intention of becoming a politician.

Founder and CEO of the Oregon Change Clinic, an addiction and mental health treatment provider for people of color, she planned to begin a Ph.D. program in international leadership at the end of the year. But a friend told her Emerge helped women build networks so she signed up.

Now, she’s headed to Salem, after being picked to temporarily fill an open Portland-based legislative seat. She’s just one of the organization’s success stories. Emerge Oregon, the premiere training organization for Democratic women in the state along with Vote Run Lead, which also trains Republicans, was founded in 2009. Since then, Emerge has trained over 400 women, and more than 100 of them are serving in office right now.

“We have win rates of 80 to 90% per year, year after year,” said Annie Ellison, outgoing executive director. “The two things we really stress are ‘The authentic you is the electable you,’ – whoever that is. And ‘the right race at the right time.’ If you run the right race at the right time as your authentic self, you are probably going to win.”



https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/10/28/electable-you-a-political-powerhouse-emerge-oregon-trains-women-democrats-to-run-for-office/