Political Opportunity Program (POP)
Help build the pipeline: You've been asked!
EMILY's List's Political Opportunity Program (POP) helps pro-choice Democratic women run and win for state and local office. But POP doesn't stop there -- POP seeks out and asks qualified pro-choice Democratic women to run for office. Since its inception in 2001, POP has held 158 trainings in 35 states, and trained a total of 5,550 people. This cycle, POP has trained 1,470 people at 46 trainings across the country. To learn more about EMILY's List and the Political Opportunity Program, watch this short video and consider yourself asked!
EMILY's List launched the Political Opportunity Program (POP) after the 2000 election cycle, when the number of women serving in state legislatures declined for the first time in 30 years. Noting the potentially negative repercussions this trend could have to electing women to higher office, EMILY's List immediately took action, creating POP -- a groundbreaking training and support program for pro-choice Democratic women seeking state legislative, constitutional, and key local offices.
POP recruits, encourages, supports, and trains pro-choice Democratic women who are thinking of running for office for the first time, as well as incumbent officeholders facing tough challenges. POP also helps elected women chart careers that will put them on the path to leadership, either at the state level or in Congress.
POP helps candidates build winning campaigns by providing technical support for pro-choice Democratic women candidates and financial contributions to those who are running in key races.
POP staff are experienced political strategists who have worked on numerous campaigns and even run for office. This dedicated team is on the road every single week of the year, meeting with women candidates; training them and their staff; and helping them prepare for the professional, mental, physical, and emotional aspects of running for office. POP staff form close relationships with the women they meet, giving them personal attention and positive encouragement, knowing that one of the main reasons women hesitate to run for office is because they haven't been asked.
POP identifies the political leaders of tomorrow ... and POP asks!
POP looks for committed community leaders and rising political stars. We become their closest allies. Their achievements become our achievements.
EMILY's List created POP in 2001 to put more women into the political pipeline, where they can gain the leadership and legislative skills they will need to be effective at home and in Washington, D.C.
But POP's goal of securing a farm team of women for the future is only one of the positive effects of electing more women at the state level. Simply by helping put women in positions of power in the states, POP helps ensure that pro-choice Democratic women are involved in making important policy decisions. From the legislators, who write laws; to attorney generals, who defend and enforce them; to secretaries of state, who oversee the elections process in states -- POP is helping put women in critical positions where they can affect the lives of millions of families!
When EMILY's List launched POP in 2001, no other major political organization had faced this challenge on such a broad scale. The need was great, and the response has been overwhelming. Each year, POP expands at a rapid clip -- enlarging our budget, working with more candidates, and hiring more experienced staff -- and will continue to rise to the demand. We are dedicated to changing the political landscape for pro-choice Democratic women for the long haul.
Over the next decade, POP will train even more women across the country -- helping them devise strategies for advancement, write and execute fundraising plans, pursue critical issue priorities, develop effective communications strategies, form key alliances, and build grassroots networks that will help them when they seek their next office. Find out more about POP trainings and support programs.
More About POP
Latest POP Victories
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Thinking of Running for Office?
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Upcoming POP Trainings
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The POP Timeline
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Success Stories
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What Women Are Saying
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