 Mark Bryant, Jennifer Moore and Sue Bryant with future Emerge candidate (the Bryant's granddaughter) Emerge Kentucky students were hosted by Mark and Sue Bryant at their home in Paducah recently. The 2014 Class is in the backstretch of their year of political education.
Around fifty supporters and well wishers showed up at the fundraiser which doubled as a meet and greet. Host Mark Bryant joked that when Chair Jennifer Moore called, his wife, Sue, said "If it's Jennifer, tell her yes." Bryant wisely acceded to his wife's wishes.
Emerge Kentucky, a year long program dedicated to teaching women to run for political office, is in its fifth year.
Of the program, Chair Jennifer Moore, a McCracken County native recalled how it all began.
"In 2009 I gathered a group of women from across the Commonwealth to form Emerge Kentucky. As an organization focused on trainin g Democratic women to run for public office, we are working in every corner of the state to identify, recruit and train future candidates. Our goal is to increase the number of women in elected office in Kentucky."
Participant Brandi Harless said that she has learned a great deal about running for office. The program has given her a needed confidence boost for when she does seek elected office. Her classmates who are currently running for office are applying what they are learning to their campaigns.All participants we talked to mentioned fundraising as a particular issue before the program began.
Whatever they are learning about fundraising is working - several candidates have outpaced all of their opponents in raising money.
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