Emma Lugo has been a candidate for US Senate in 2004 challenging Representative Harold Ford Jr, who compared the war in Iraq to a football game the US has to win. In 2014 she ran for US Senate against Senator Jeff Merkley who voted in favor of a resolution supporting Israel during the war on Gaza in which Israel murdered 2600 Palestinians including over 600 children. She has also run for US House of Representatives, City Council and School Board.

In Oregon Emma has served on the State Coordinating Committee serving two separate terms as well as serving as Secretary and National Delegate. Emma started up with the Green Party in 1996 after driving to Knoxville, Tennessee to hear Ralph Nader speak. She was active with the Green Party of Middle Tennessee and for the past ten years has been active with the Pacific Green Party.

Unafraid of criticism or controversy, Emma has been outspoken on the national listserv calling out transphobia and language which diminishes the rights of transgender people, especially transgender women. As a transgender woman, Emma advocates for the rights of transgender people through her radio program, Transpositive, on KBOO Community Radio in Portland and also works as an advocate for persons incarcerated through the program Prison Pipeline, which she is a co-host of.

As a candidate for steering committee Emma brings her experience serving on several boards including the Board of KBOO Community Radio, the Board of Shir Tikvah synagogue and formerly serving on the State Coordinating Committee of the Pacific Green Party and the Board of the Nashville Peace and Justice Center. Her vision of tenure on the National Steering Committee of the Green Party is to continue to good work of the committee and raise the national profile of the Green Party by supporting our candidates at all levels from school board to president and to work to support and increase ballot access for the party.