Leader Fosters Balanced Political Arena

by Ruth Leubecker

December 2, 2009

Katie Mae Simpson is not the norm for a young Maine college graduate, because she's found her ideal job and she can do it right here where she wants to be.

Katie Mae Simpson spearheads a vision for women leaders in Maine. Ruth Leubecker photo

"Growing up in downeast Maine was such a good experience, but (in the beginning) I couldn't stay and do my profession," explains the Columbia Falls native. "Emerge Maine is the perfect confluence of everything I want – living here and my dream job."

Simpson, whose first day as Emerge Maine director was October 2, brings a wealth of experience to her trailblazing position. After three years as senior organizer with Planned Parenthood, she worked as a polling and field strategist for eight winning Massachusetts House and Senate candidates. She has advocated for gay marriage and workplace health and safety.

But her most strenuous and eye-opening experience was signing on as a campaign staffer with the Howard Dean presidential campaign. "It was an intense time. You don't sleep much and you eat a lot of pizza," reflected the Middlebury College graduate, "and what I learned from it was that I didn't want to do it for the rest of my life. The 80-hour work week and the intensity of the experience just takes over your life.

"Emerge Maine is the perfect balance of working on an issue I'm passionate about and living where I want to be," she explains. "Politics in Maine doesn't move at the same pace. I like the geographic cross-section, although we have no women north of Bangor. My goal is to eventually provide this opportunity for women in Houlton and Presque Isle."

The opportunity of Emerge Maine is ambitious, albeit partisan. The local non-profi t is dedicated to training Democratic women leaders for public office at any level. It's Democratic because it was founded by two female Democrats and statistically, according to Simpson, Democratic women are more attuned to social action and aggressively making things happen in a public arena.

"Emerge is growing on a national level. Emerge California was the first one in 2002. Emerge Maine was founded in 2006," says Simpson. "This 2010 class will be our fourth one, and we have two Washington County women in this class of 19 -- Jeanne Guisinger and Allison Ouellette." (with a goal of 15-25 to a class, 19 is considered optimum.)

The six-month program (December-May) includes one full day of intensive training each month. Focusing on the skills needed to run for office, the regimen includes the basics of fundraising, field campaigning, networking, nurturing confidence, public speaking, media and messaging.

"By giving women these skills, we see this as an opportunity to create a network of women running for office," explains Simpson. "You could call it a pipeline to power. And it could be the lowliest of offices right on up - we just want to help more women get involved. At every level of public service the percentage of women in office is low. The United States ranks 73rd - even behind such luminaries as Pakistan and Afghanistan, in the number of women in public office."

Emerge Maine has a 14- member board and an advisory board that includes motherdaughter legislators Chellie and Hannah Pingree. "We have emerged nationally with nine affiliates with 47% of those members running for office," says Simpson. "So it works. Not too long ago women were 3% of Congress. Now it's 17%. That's better, but it's still only 17%."

New Hampshire, often compared to Maine because of its tax friendliness as well as cost-effective legislature, also shines in this comparison. According to a recent edition of the Boston Globe, Maine's neighboring state is the only state in the country with a majority of women in state office.

Simpson, 29, began to question the politics of gender in childhood. "It was during the 1988 presidential campaign, and I was eight years old," she says. "Watching television with my father I noticed there were no women and I asked him why. He said there had never been a woman president, and I said 'That's not fair!' The importance of parity in public office is so vital. I saw the disconnect right away when I realized how strongly my parents believed in voting."

Simpson, who moved back to Maine from Boston, is building a home near Portland with her partner. In her spare time she does yoga, runs, reads, loves to cook, and grows her own food. But presently, Emerge Maine is commanding her attention.

"I'd love to have it be more known," she says. "Where if someone has a real desire to make a difference - someone like my mother, or someone's aunt - they'd want to run for office and they'd think of Emerge. I just would love to see more women run for local office."