Emerge Vermont, the state’s premier organization that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office, delivered big wins up and down the ballot in yesterday’s general election. The organization had 59 alums on the ballot (not including justices of the peace) and 48 alums won—an 81% win rate. Winning alums include:
“This is fabulous news for the women candidates in Vermont. They are setting new records and will make a great contribution to the political climate in the state. I’m delighted to see their wins,” said former Governor Madeleine Kunin, Vermont’s first and only woman governor and founder of Emerge Vermont.
Emerge Vermont Cabinet member and former state representative Joan Lenes said, “We are extremely proud of all our alums who ran. Their success reflects the enormous impact of Emerge Vermont and the leadership of our founder, Governor Madeleine Kunin. Her vision for Vermont women helped make this possible.”
These victories are just a few of the many firsts and historic results from yesterday’s election. They highlight the growing influence women candidates are having and will continue to have as they make significant impact across the state while in office.
This election will provide fresh perspectives for many of Vermont’s offices and institutions. Eighteen alums who won are members of the New American Majority—Black, Brown and Indigenous women and women of color, as well as LGBTQ+, young, and unmarried women—while 16 of the women who won were first-time candidates. As Emerge Vermont works to repower the state’s political structures, these alums will be an essential part of expanding representation in our elected offices.
The election will also bring historic change to the Vermont Legislature. “Five women of color won their elections yesterday—that’s the same number of women of color serving in one session than have served in the Legislature in all of Vermont history,” said Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale, an Emerge Vermont co-founder and the first and only woman of color in the Vermont Senate. “That is a more representative democracy for all of us.”
The election results also increase the number of women in the Legislature from 73 to 81, as well as Vermont’s national ranking of state legislatures with the most women. “The overall percentage of women serving in the entire Legislature will increase from its current 40.6% to 45%, the highest it has ever been. 23% of those women have been trained by Emerge Vermont,” said Elaine Haney, executive director. “We are currently #10 in the country. With this election we expect to get back into the top half of the list.”
“Emerge Vermont alums were a dominant force on the ballot last night, and we are thrilled that so many of them have been elected to office,” said Haney. “These women are exceptional leaders with backgrounds, experiences and identities that represent the unique diversity of our state. As they did on the campaign trail, these newly elected women will transform our political structures, provide new voices for traditionally underrepresented communities, and demonstrate the importance of women in leadership. We’re incredibly proud of them and can’t wait to see all they will accomplish.”
Emerge Vermont alums who won on Tuesday are:
| Candidate | Office | District | Emerge Class |
| Alyssa Black | State Representative | Chittenden-24 | 2020 |
| Angela Lawrence | High Bailiff | Windham County | 2022 |
| Anne Watson | State Senator | Washington County | 2017 |
| Becca Balint | U.S. Representative | 2014 | |
| Becca White | State Senator | Windham | 2016 |
| Carol Ode | State Representative | Chittenden-18 | 2015 |
| Charity Clark | Attorney General | 2022 | |
| Daisy Berbeco | State Representative | Chittenden-21 | 2022 |
| Emilie Kornheiser | State Representative | Windham-7 | 2018 |
| Emilie Krasnow | State Representative | Chittenden-9 | 2022 |
| Gabrielle Stebbins | State Representative | Chittenden-13 | 2020 |
| Jana Brown | State Representative | Chittenden-1 | 2018 |
| Jessica Brumsted | State Representative | Chittenden-7 | 2016 |
| Jill Krowinski | State Representative | Chittenden-16 | Former ED |
| Julia Andrews | State Representative | Chittenden-25 | 2022 |
| Karen Dolan | State Representative | Chittenden-22 | 2020 |
| Kari Dolan | State Representative | Washington-2 | 2018 |
| Kate Donnally | State Representative | Lamoille-2 | 2020 |
| Kate Lalley | State Representative | Chittenden-6 | 2020 |
| Katherine Sims | State Representative | Orleans-4 | 2016 |
| Kathleen James | State Representative | Bennington-4 | 2018 |
| Kathryn Nugent | State Representative | Chittenden-10 | 2021 |
| Kesha Ram Hinsdale | State Senator | Chittenden-SE | Co-founder |
| Leslie Goldman | State Representative | Windham-3 | 2020 |
| Madeline Motta | Assistant Judge | Lamoille County | 2014 |
| Mari Cordes | State Representative | Addison-4 | 2018 |
| Martine Gulick | State Senator | Chittenden-Central | 2018 |
| Michelle Bos-Lun | State Representative | Windham-3 | 2020 |
| Monique Priestley | State Representative | Orange-2 | 2022 |
| Rey Garofano | State Representative | Chittenden-23 | 2022 |
| Ruth Hardy | State Senator | Addison County | Former ED |
| Sara Coffey | State Representative | Windham-1 | 2018 |
| Sarah Copeland Hanzas | Secretary of State | 2022 | |
| Sarah George | State’s Attorney | Chittenden County | 2018 |
| Sarita Austin | State Representative | Chittenden-19 | 2018 |
| Saudia LaMont | State Representative | Lamoille-Washington | 2022 |
| Stephanie Jerome | State Representative | Rutland-9 | 2020 |
| Tiff Bluemle | State Representative | Chittenden-13 | 2020 |
The above winners are alums of Emerge Vermont’s Signature Training program. Another group of 13 women recently completed an intensive campaign training, with 10 (77%) also winning their races. They are:
Emerge Vermont has a proven track record for getting Democratic women elected. Since the organization launched in 2013, the program has trained 174 women to run for office. Prior to the August primary, 54% of 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 an elected position, 39% have won including Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski, Senate Pro Tem Becca Balint, and Lt. Governor Molly Gray.
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.