A nonprofit that trains women is being used as a political straw man in Aurora.
A door hanger is being distributed to promote conservative candidates in the City Council race on one side, and on the other side warns that “A liberal front group called Emerge is quietly working to stack city councils. Aurora is the tip of the spear.”
Emerge has two alumni running for the council — Leanne Wheeler and Alison Coombs — among the 12 candidates for five respective seats.
Emerge Colorado offers programs for Democratic women thinking about running for office. And though its alumni have had remarkable success in state and local offices, as a movement goes, it’s an army of one, executive director Michal Rosenoer.
It’s just me,” she said, “with a website and public filings.”
The registered agent for the IEC didn’t immediately return a call from Colorado Politics. Its mission, according to its filing with the Secretary of State’s Office, is to “support candidates who support job creation through economic development policies based on low taxes and limited government.”
“We are being attacked for training moms, teachers and working women to step up to represent their communities,” Rosenoer said. “That doesn’t sit well with some, so they are turning to political smears and potentially libel to try to undercut our alumnae. We’re considering legal action. There is nothing more patriotic than stepping up to lead your community, and we applaud our alumnae in Aurora for staying strong in the face of these sexist lies and attacks.”
Since its inception in 2012, Emerge Colorado’s more than 300 alumnae have won 88% of their races office across the state, including 15 statehouse races. Currently there are 49 former Emerge graduates in elected office.
