Emerge and our affiliates are hosting Candidate Bootcamps for Democratic self-identified women running in the 2026 election cycle.
The bootcamps have been developed by Emerge and our affiliates to give Democratic women the skills they need to turbocharge their campaigns. Top political strategists and trainers will teach attendees critical elements of campaigning, including:
Campaign overview and structure
Developing campaign plan and strategy
Messaging and Media Relations
Social Media
Endorsements and Power Brokers
Fundraising
Field Campaigns
Public Speaking
And much more!
Attendees who complete the Bootcamp will be considered Emerge Bootcamp alumnae and have access to alumnae resources, as well as continuing education opportunities for alumnae. Tuition may be paid by personal or campaign committee accounts. Due to campaign finance regulations, Emerge and its affiliates cannot provide scholarships to Bootcamp participants.
To apply for the 2026 Candidate Bootcamp, please see below for dates and application information:
Dates and Times:
Friday, March 20th – Sunday, March 22nd
Location:
Virtual (Friday and Saturday)
In-person (Sunday)
Applications Open:
(Deadline to apply February 28th 11:59pm)
Tuition
Tuition for the 2026 Candidate Bootcamp is $850 with an application fee of $50. The tuition includes all materials, connections to high-level political consultants and trainers. Tuition may be paid by personal or campaign committee accounts. Due to campaign finance regulations, Emerge Massachusetts cannot provide scholarships to Candidate Bootcamp participants. We do encourage all participants to fundraise to cover, or defray, the cost.
Who Should Apply?
The Emerge Massachusetts Candidate Bootcamp has been developed for Democratic self-women who are actively campaigning. The curriculum is focused on the skills candidates need to jumpstart their campaigns this year. Only candidates currently running for office are eligible for the program.
If you are not already a candidate for public office, but are thinking about running in the future, we recommend applying to our six-month training program. Our next class will begin in January 2027. Applications will re-open for the 2027 session in the latter half of 2026.