RFS feel-good update (3/31): "The best 60 minutes I’ve ever spent on a Zoom call"
Plus: More good stuff from across the RFS community
Hi all -
Another big week!
First, outside the RFS world (but directly related to it): On Tuesday, Democrats won a special election in Lancaster, PA, flipping a state legislative seat that Trump won by 15 points, in an area where no Democrat has won in decades, and that no Democrat for president had ever won, save Lyndon B. Johnson. The winning candidate, James Malone, was a mayor of a small town in the area.
Among many things to take away from this victory: We can win anywhere. We have to run everywhere.
That’s why Run for Something is continuing to recruit candidates at an unprecedented pace. We’ve now exceed 36,000 new sign-ups to our pipeline since Election Day — a vast majority of that just since Inauguration. We’re keeping up the momentum as we find new leaders to run all across the country.
Also last Tuesday: We hosted our March intro call for people thinking about running for office — it was our biggest call ever. Over 1800 people RSVPd to learn more about running for office and hear from RFS alum U.S. Rep. Emily Randall (WA) and Judge Elaissia Sears, who serves as Justice of the Peace for the West Mesa Justice Court, and is the youngest judge in the southwest.
Some of the feedback and comments:
"I'm angry with our federal government and have watched hundreds of former colleagues lose their livelihoods to frivolous narcissism. I've worked on USAID contracts for ten years - my industry has been decimated, my degree devalued, and I see the writing on the wall for so many others - from my elderly neighbors' Social Security checks to my daughter's future opportunities. I want to make sure I am doing what I can to protect and insulate my district from federal mismanagement."
"That was one of the best 60 minutes I’ve ever spent on a Zoom call. Thank you for doing this!"
“I am from Northern California, a teacher fired up over the dismantling of the Dept of Ed; I'm here to fight for my students!”
“I am a somewhat-former federal employee wanting to support the rest of our federal workforce and the common people.”
“I don't feel like our current representatives represent the average person, I feel like there's a responsibility to stand up and do something.”
"I'm a transgender woman in Arizona. To the best of my knowledge, the only thing stopping anti-trans bills as bad as those in the southern states is our governor. Given that, we need trans voices in the legislature."
“I have a background in disaster management and crisis comms — I want to change how we communicate values and bring anti-cruelty back as a virtue.”
"The whole call was very inspiring, especially seeing the aliveness of the judge, and how the speakers were real, grounded and gave excellent information and resources. Bravo!"
The call was beautiful and inspiring — stay tuned for the next one.
Also last week: We endorsed 37 amazing new leaders running in 2025.
A few of the amazing new folks in this class:
Ryan Talmadge (Newark City Council, Central Ward) organized a tenants association after the corporate landlord of his parents’ apartment building had the city shut their water off. He is a homegrown Newarker who has lived in the city all of his life. With a degree in Political Science from Rutgers University-Newark, he is the son, nephew, and cousin of public school teachers. His mother has been an educator in Newark for over twenty years, teaching children with disabilities. Ryan is running to be an advocate for the 5,600 children in Newark who have disabilities.
Montana Hartman is running for the Cumberland County Prothonotary in Pennsylvania – which is the first time we’ve endorsed a candidate running for Prothonotary (a judicial role as Chief Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas). Hear more about it in their words here.
If elected, Ajmeri Hoque, who is running for Franklin County Municipal Court Judge, is a Bangladeshi immigrant who would be the first Muslim judge in Ohio.
Those are just some of the great people joining the RFS community this month — read more about the 37 leaders endorsed across 17 states.
In RFS community updates:
The San Francisco Chronicle has endorsed Charlene Wang for Oakland City Council with this high praise: “Wang is one of the most detail-oriented and thoughtful Bay Area candidates we’ve spoken to in years. Her broad range of experience is something Oakland needs badly during this moment of crisis. We believe she can represent the district well while also addressing some of the city’s biggest crises.”
Connor Moreton, candidate for St. Bernard Village Council in OH, makes the case for other LGBTQ+ Ohioans to run for office at a time when we badly need authentic people-centered leadership.
Santa Fe (NM) City Councilmember Amanda Chavez is working on plans to introduce a number of bills around public safety — including steeper penalties around reckless and aggressive driving, more policing in high crime areas, and creation of a code enforcement office that can help take on some of the calls currently being fielded by police and fire departments.
In PA, Allegheny County Councilman Dan Grzybek is leading efforts to place term limits on himself and his colleagues. We love to see it.
From this beautiful piece on the power of trans visibility and Lexington (KY) Councilmember Emma Curtis’s leadership: ““I am humanizing trans people,” [Emma] Curtis states, reflecting on her impact. She believes her presence in office is normalizing trans leadership, as community members increasingly focus on local issues like potholes and clearer roads, seeking solutions from capable leaders regardless of their sexual or gender identity. Curtis calls it getting the job done and “a quiet form of activism.””
Sacramento City Councilmember Caity Maple is leading on establishing a road safety program that would quickly improve infrastructure to make city streets safer.
TX Rep. John Bucy is working to expand access to online voter registration — every little step counts!
PA Rep. Jennifer O’Mara has successfully passed legislation to make it easier for people with disabilities and active-duty military families to get photo ID cards.
Portland city Councilor Angelita Morillo is championing policy to ban AI software from being used to set rents. Landlords are pissssed.
San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivero made the city the first in the nation to ban grocery stores from offering digital-only deals — everyone, regardless of phone or internet access, should be able to use coupons.
NC Sen. Sydney Batch is introducing legislation to create paid family leave in the state — a tragedy that it doesn’t have it yet.
NY Sen. Jabari Brisport introduced legislation to provide foster kids with free luggage, so they don’t have to carry their stuff in literal garbage bags as they move from place to place. As he says: It’s the least we owe them.
GA Rep. Phil Olaleye’s work to stop corporations from gobbling up homes is making big news across Georgia.
More on housing: IL Rep. Nabeela Syed is hoping to wildly reshape the relationship between landlords and tenants, and affirm that housing is a human right.
NE Sen. Megan Hunt is pushing forward legislation to ban conversion therapy for Nebraskans under the age of 19. Even if it’s a long shot to get passed, it’s worth it for Megan to get caught trying.
RFS alum Kendall Scudder was elected the chair of the Texas Democratic Party, bringing fresh energy to a party that badly needs it.
CO Rep. Brianna Titone was instrumental to bringing the Sundance Film Festival to Boulder, CO — both through business incentives and through pushing forward a more diverse and welcoming culture.
MO Rep. Keri Ingle is sponsoring legislation to create a position in the state health department to coordinate services for people suffering from dementia — deaths due to Alzheimer’s Disease have increased nearly 150% in the past two decades.
Our team is getting together this week for an all-staff retreat — spending time together to scheme, convene, and keep the energy up for the work to come. You make that (and everything else!) possible — thanks!
- Amanda
This is where our political future lies, with these amazing young leaders running for office or newly elected. Thanks for all the positive news and energy!!