19 Emerge South Carolina Women on the Ballot in November

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 14, 2022

CONTACT: Jessica Bright

NEW: 19 Emerge South Carolina Women on the Ballot in November

Charleston, SC—Emerge, South Carolina, the state’s premier organization that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office, announced it has 19 women on the ballot this November in races from school board to Congress and more. This follows a successful primary season for the organization which celebrated a 41% win rate in June. The Emerge alums who go on to win their races in November will serve their communities in office, providing new experiences, voices, and representation to their constituents.

Emerge alums on the ballot share unique backgrounds and identities that will bring much-needed perspectives to elected offices in South Carolina. Thirteen are members of the New American Majority–Black, Brown, and Indigenous women and women of color, as well as LGBTQ+, young, and unmarried women–five are first-time candidates, and four are looking to be the first women in their position. . Many of these women are also running as trailblazers, such as Annie Andrews, if elected, would be the first Democratic Women to flipped a congressional district in over 30 years. Emerge alums across South Carolina are at the frontlines of repowering political structures and bringing parity to office.

“After a groundbreaking primary season, Emerge alums are ready to hit the campaign trail in South Carolina and continue their success on the ballot in November,” said Jessica Bright, executive director of Emerge South Carolina. “These 19 dynamic women will flip seats from red to blue and compete in some of the most important elections in the country, and provide powerful new representation in office. As we look to Increase Democratic representation in South Carolina this year, Emerge alums and their success will be essential in making it happen. Good luck to all of our alums on the ballot this November and we look forward to seeing you out on the campaign trail and in office.”

More information about the alums on the ballot:

2 Alums, Kendra Dove of Richland County and Latisha Walker of Organgebug county will move to November as unopposed candidates. This will be the first time in the history of Richland County that there will be an African American Treasurer.
They are five Emerge Alums that are running for State House. Michelle Brandt is running in House District 114 in Charleston and Dorchester Counties and Ashelyn Preaux is running in the newly formed District 61 in Horry County.

Emerge South Carolina has a proven track record for getting Democratic women elected. Since the organization launched in 2017, the program trained 122 women to run for office. Forty-seven alums have gone on to run for political office or been appointed to local boards or commissions, and of those who have gone on to run for elected positions.

Nationally, Emerge has trained more than 5,000 alums since 2002 and currently has more than 1,000 alums in elected office across the country. The organization is committed to reaching 100,000 women of the New American Majority over the next 15 years, fostering a lift as you climb culture for women in politics, and repowering political structures. There are currently 27 state affiliates, and the organization has impacted a total of 45 states, Washington, D.C., and territories. Emerge is committed to reaching 100,000 women of the New American Majority, repowering political structures, and fostering a lift as you climb culture for women in politics during the next 15 years.

For more information, please visit https://sc.emergeamerica.org/.

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