Once a Republican stronghold in California, the Central Valley has recently been targeted by Democrat women who are seeking to turn the region blue, like the rest of the state.
According to KQED, Emerge California, a program that helps Democratic women seeking public office, has for the first time expanded into the Central Valley and this past weekend, the group was teaching Democratic women how to fundraise.
Emerge California, which was founded in 2005, says its mission is “To increase the number of Democratic women leaders from diverse backgrounds in public office through recruitment, training, and providing a powerful network.”
The program is currently in 22 states including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
“Women from Fresno, from Bakersfield, from Sacramento, from Nevada County, from right here in Stockton and Modesto, started to apply to the program at a significantly higher number,” Emerge California Executive Director Maimuna Syed, told KQED, adding the President Donald Trump’s election has bolstered applications to her program by 87 percent statewide.
KQED noted that “Of the women who complete the Emerge training, more than half go on to actually run for office or get appointed to local boards or commissions. Of those who run, the organization says nearly 70 percent have won.”
However, the challenge is an uphill battle. Despite the increased interest from Democratic women to run for local and statewide office, many of these candidates will face incumbents, who will prove difficult to beat.
KQED noted that “Data compiled by the firm GrassrootsLab show that, of the 92 candidates running for Central Valley city council or county seats in June, just 20 are women.”
Just last month, Breitbart News reported that Democrats believe “the key to flipping the House of Representatives in November is targeting four GOP seats in California’s Orange County, formerly the “Most Republican County in America.”
Read the entire KQED piece here.
Adelle Nazarian is a politics and national security reporter for Breitbart News. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
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