Feel-good update: Leaders aren’t born — they’re made.

Check out who signed the pledge, watch this great video, and get the latest RFS alumni updates.

​Another week, another two presidential candidates signed the down-ballot presidential pledge — Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Amy Klobuchar. ​That brings our grand total to 15 possible nominees who’ve acknowledged they’re ready to lead the Democratic party responsibly, invest in down ballot races, and prioritize long-term infrastructure, especially that recruits young people, women, and people of color.

​Relatedly: We put an awesome video to get folks thinking about running for office — one that reminds them that leaders aren’t born, they’re made.

​In candidate & alumni news….

— Two more winners! Congrats to Natalie Pinkney, candidate for South Salt Lake City Council at-large and Nicole Frethem, Ramsey County Commissioner (district 1) in Minnesota for winning their primaries and advancing to the general election.

- Get to know Ashley Peele, candidate for North Charleston mayor — if she wins, she’ll be the first woman and first openly gay mayor of the town. Her story is so inspiring.

— “When [state Sen. Megan Hunt] was elected to the Nebraska Legislature last year, she became the first out bisexual person to win statewide office. She was also the first woman to serve from her district. According to Hunt, Nebraska has never elected a Muslim or Asian state lawmaker. Currently, there are only two black representatives, and Hunt says it’s the most the legislature “has ever had.”” Now she’s on a mission to make the gov’t more representative, more diverse, and more progressive — whatever it takes.

— “As a Mexican-Jewish lawmaker, I feel doubly targeted by Trump’s hateful rhetoric.” — Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez

- State Senator Mallory McMorrow is leading the charge to improve electric vehicle infrastructure in Michigan, aiming to make Michigan the first fully-networked state in the country.

- Rep. Anna Eskamani is filing a bill to ensure that Florida officially condemns white supremacy. FL House members only get 6 bills a session; Anna thinks this it’s critical for the FL gov’t to take a stand.

— The VA House Democratic Caucus announced that there are 92 candidates for VA House of Delegates this fall — the most Democrats running ever. 52% are women, 39% are people of color, 33% are under 40 years old, and 5.4% are openly LGBTQ. (And FWIW: 15% are endorsed by Run for Something!)

In RFS-related stories…

- The DLCC put out an awesome Summer Reading List. Don’t miss this great piece on why a Democratic president can’t save us and Eric Holder on what we can do to fix the bullshit.

​- We’re set up not to lose any state legislative chambers this cycle, and we’re on offense ​in least 8–10 chambers. As the Washington Post explains, we are primed to strike — and it’s never been more important to keep up the momentum.

​- There’s been a whole lot of conversation about turning Texas blue this week — both on the presidential level & in the congressional delegation. It’s important to remember: the best thing we can do to turn Texas permanently blue is win back the state legislature and, amongst other things, make it easier for all Texans to vote. We only need to flip 9 seats in the state legislature & we’ve been recruiting hard since the year started. In fact, on Friday, Ross was in Houston for an event with the Texas Democrats and our amazing alum, Judge Lina Hidalgo. ​So fun.

Finally, last chance: We’ll be in the Hamptons this Saturday night. A few weeks ago, Trump raised $13 million at his event in the neighborhood… we won’t hit that, but we can certainly try!

Thanks for keeping the momentum going with us. It wouldn’t be possible without your help.