Emerge Nevada Annual Report 2021

Looking Back

Now, more than ever, our state is looking to Democratic women for leadership. We prepare women to answer the call in Nevada. For more than a decade, Emerge Nevada has actively changed the face of Nevada politics by identifying, training, and mentoring women leaders from diverse backgrounds to pursue public office. In 2018, Nevada made history by swearing in the nation’s first majority women legislature, many of whom are Emerge Nevada graduates–including the state’s first woman to serve as Senate Majority Leader, Nicole Cannizzaro. In 2020, 71% of Emerge Nevada alumnae on the ballot won their elections, and our slate of candidates changed the face of the judiciary, bringing more women and women of color to the bench and breaking down barriers for future candidates.

2021 in Review

In 2021, Emerge Nevada celebrated 15 years of helping women run and win seats for public office. Even amidst a tumultuous pandemic, we kept going, transitioning our 72-hour, 6-week signature training program into an all-virtual course. We incorporated mental health into our curriculum, acknowledging the toll that campaigning can take on women and families. In September, we graduated 21 women to form the Class of 2021, our most diverse cohort yet!

In advance of 2022’s election year, we created a Campaign Advisory Team, led by community leader and Emergista Kristee Watson, to provide additional resources, volunteer support, and continuing education for Emerge alumnae actively seeking office. We also welcomed 5 new members to our Board of Directors, making the Board, and its Executive Committee, majority women of color.

Heading into 2022, Emerge Nevada will continue training a representative and history-making cohort of women who will bring about the change our communities need while supporting our alumnae running for office in this critical midterm year.