RFS feel-good update (1/27): The biggest candidate call yet
Plus: Pics from swearing-in season
Hi all -
Last week was rough. Starting with inauguration and the terrifying billionaire row behind Trump through to the onslaught of unconstitutional/illegal/racist executive orders — well, I don’t know anyone who was feeling good.
And yet: There was one bright spot. We kicked off Trump 2.0 with our biggest candidate intro call yet. More than 1300 people signed up to learn more about running for office — we were joined by Rep. Maxwell Frost, who inspired folks with his story, and Altadena Library Board Trustee Dr. Katie Clark, who spoke to her experience leading locally in an emergency.
I was delighted to join on my first full day back from leave — the chat was vibrant, the vibes were good, and the future very briefly looked bright. Hundreds of people were excited to talk about how they wanted to lead their communities forward.
Some of the comments from attendees:
I grew up in public housing, with both parents incarcerated at different points in my childhood. Now, I’m a first-generation college graduate and want to run to ensure other kids like me have more opportunities and resources.
I’m a high school teacher in a rural district, and I’ve seen firsthand how budget cuts and outdated policies hurt our students. I want to run to fight for better education funding and opportunities for all kids in my district.
I have had a feeling like if they can do it, I can do it. [Dr. Katie Clark] mentioned your opponent is just some guy, which really encapsulated that feeling.
My parents immigrated to this country with nothing, and they taught me the value of hard work and giving back. Now, I want to run for office to represent immigrant families like mine who too often go unheard.
It was great to see a really clear pipeline of all the next steps I can take to begin pursuing my eventual run for public office, and I intend to do so!
After serving in the Army and seeing the challenges my fellow veterans face back home, I feel a responsibility to advocate for policies that improve their lives and support their families.
I was blown away by the services provided by RFS and how it was all put together and presented by the two representatives. Very well done! I am inspired.
I’m tired of feeling like I don’t have a voice in my community. I know there are like-minded people who are scared of the current administration, and I am not going to lay over and give up.
I’ve lived in the same small town my whole life, and I’ve seen it decline over the years as jobs left and schools closed. I’m running because I believe we can revitalize our community and bring back hope.
As a mom of three in public schools, I’ve been fighting to make our school board listen to parents and invest in our kids. It’s time to take that fight to the next level.
As a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw how broken our healthcare system is. I’m running to make sure our state never goes through a crisis like that again without being prepared.
They’re ready to lead. We’ve got their backs.
Relatedly, I spotted this thoughtful pondering online last week…
Spoiler: The answer is yes. As we told the 19th, since Election Day 2024, more than 13,000 people have signed up with us — more than in all of 2017, the year the organization was founded. (And in fact, as of today, it’s over 14,000!)
“Of those: 30 percent are LGBTQ+, 51 percent are women and 72 percent are under 40 — all higher rates than in previous election cycles. Most are interested in running for local office, saying they see those as the first line of defense against federal actions regarding abortion, immigration policy, and education policy.”
We are at a generational tipping point in the Democratic Party (and FWIW, in the GOP, too — the next GOP presidential nominee will likely be JD Vance or another very-online millennial.)
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party feels leaderless right now. But/and, as I keep reminding myself: The people we look to today to step up — AOC, Maxwell Frost, Jasmine Crockett, countless state and local leaders that RFS has helped elect — were not on our radar this time eight years ago. A lot can and will change fast. Our growing pipeline is a big part of that.
In RFS alumni updates:
Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas led the fight to end jail debt — forgiving more than $65 million in fees that prisoners would end up owing the state after their sentence ended.
Emma Curtis decided to run for city council in Lexington, KY, because she was determined to fix dangerous roads in her city, but she comes to office knowing she also has a bigger responsibility, as a transgender woman elected in a harsh national climate. “The most important things that we can do are to never run from who we are and to focus on filling our constituent services. At the end of the day, that's the job. That's what it's about. It's about making people's lives tangibly better.” Read the rest in Assigned Media.
VA Del. Adele McClure normalizing being a mom and a legislator by pumping for her newborn from the chamber floor.
I’m a sucker for a love story, and this is really beautiful - TX Rep. Venton Jones Jr. proposed to his partner on the floor of the Texas State House after being sworn in. He said yes!
CO Rep. Javier Mabrey is cosponsoring legislation to bring down costs — including cracking down on price gouging, junk fees, and rent algorithms that drive up housing prices.
NE Sen. John Frederickson, a mental health professional himself, introduced legislation to reform Medicaid audits for behavioral health providers, which are currently overburdening professionals.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb put out his annual report — among other big accomplishments, the city’s homicide rate dropped by 26%, Cleveland opened its first seasonal shelter, and kicked off a new online 311 system.
Jessica Caloza made history as the first Filipina sworn in to the CA state assembly!
CO Rep. Manny Rutinel laid out his priorities for the 2025 session, especially housing affordability, homelessness, environmental pollution, and AI.
Find the joy with some swearing in photos…
As our folks move up to higher office, keep an eye on that bench:
Kyle Evans Gay was sworn in as Lt. Governor of Delaware!
CO Rep. Iman Jodeh was appointed to an open state senate seat, moving to the upper chamber to represent her community in Aurora, CO.
Jefferson County Clerk & Recorder Amanda Gonzalez announced her campaign for Colorado Secretary of State!
Reps. Yassamin Ansari and Sarah McBride are both named women to watch in the 119th Congress.
FL Rep. Anna Eskamani announced her campaign for mayor of Orlando! Go Anna go.
Finally: This is RFS co-founder Ross Morales Rocketto’s last week with the organization. (He very kindly stayed on as a senior advisor to help cover while I was out.)
There would be no Run for Something without Ross. While I am the more public of the two of us, he has been my true and equal partner in all of this for eight very long very hard years — his empathy, heart, and strategic vision have been fundamental to our success. Every partner or candidate that has worked with Ross knows what I mean: He’s just the best.
Feel free to leave Ross a farewell note in the comments or on social media (he’s on Instagram here).
Thanks for making all this possible.
- Amanda
Ross thank you for all you’ve done to help make RFS into one of the most vital orgs on the progressive left! We see what you guys have done (and are doing) and we are so grateful for your service. Best of luck in your next endeavor.
Thank you Ross. I've been a supporter since the first year. I was already aware the Democratic party had allowed the weeds to grow and strangle the party over a few decades, while the Republican party spent the same period developing, cultivating and then mechanizing and expanding, a vast and deep "Field of (nightmare) Dreams".
I recognized the value of what you and Amanda were starting, and am so very, very grateful for the two of you. Grateful for the vision, the courage, the determination and resilience, the ability to adapt, plan and execute, to get this organization through tough times, and put it in the position it's in today.
I'm absolutely convinced that absent RFS, this country would eventually have been lost. Democracy isn't a spectator sport, and unfortunately, the Democratic party and its voters became complacent, insulated, maybe a bit too willing to sit on the side, hoping someone else would do their work for them.
RFS will eventually be recognized, as a - if not THE - key organization in the resurrection of sane functional progressive government at all levels in this country.
Great job, Ross and Amanda. Thank you both, from the bottom of many hearts.