Hi all -
Are you ready to be fired up?? Meet 40 amazing new candidates running for state and local office all across the country.
This class includes incredible leaders — amazing advocates running for school board seats, a doctor running for coroner (!!) in Indiana, a farmer running for state senate in Kentucky, an artist running for trustee in Michigan, the first Black woman to run for Register of Deeds in Franklin County, NC, and more.
We’re up to 149 endorsed folks running in 2024, a majority people of color and nearly half of whom identify as women. More than half of our 2024 candidates identify as coming from low-income backgrounds, and so far we’ve got folks running in 37 states.
It’s also (again!) always!) almost Election Day for us: We have 24 candidates on the ballot tomorrow, April 2nd — including school board races in Alaska, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma, a project board race in Arizona, and a ton of municipal elections across Wisconsin. Stay tuned for results!
In broader RFS community updates:
This is our favorite kind of headline — shout out to Maria Rodriguez, newly elected member of the Pembroke Pines City Commission in Florida, who knocked 15,000 doors to win her race by just 50 votes.
OK Rep. Mauree Turner’s leadership and presence in the state legislature matters: At “The People’s Hearing,” an event aimed at fostering solidarity among trans and gender-nonconforming Oklahomans, folks pointed to their leadership. One speaker said directly to Rep. Turner:
“You give me so much strength to wake up every day. You getting in here and just showing up every day – it may not feel like a lot of wins – but it does a lot for our soul, our hearts.”Thanks to RFS alum Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn and Sen. Andrea Hunley, state candidates in Indiana can now use campaign funds to pay for childcare. HUGE.
MN Rep. Cedrick Frazier reflected on a new law he helped pass that restored the right to vote for folks previously incarcerated — allowing 55,000 people to now cast their ballots. He talked with local campus journalists about the impact this legislation has on our democracy.
Allie Phillips, candidate TN state house, tells her story: “I simply have the real-life experience of what a Trump world looks like and I’m doing my best to make sure it does not become a reality. “
When she told her story about seeking an abortion from the state capitol, AZ Sen. Eva Burch didn’t realize how far it would go. Watch this.
This is absolutely beautiful, from St. Paul City Councilmember Nelsie Yang:
“I think a lot about the children and young people who I’ve met along the way, who believe in themselves even more because they see another young person who’s able to be in a leadership position. Growing up, I didn’t have that. I didn’t see myself as a leader, nor could I ever imagine myself running for office. Being somebody who makes it more possible for people by being that real-life example and testimony is one of the most rewarding things.”Samantha Kaag, the first woman mayor of West Reading, PA, reflects on the first three years of her historic leadership and the tragedy of a local explosion she’s had to carry the community through.
Cambridge City Councilmembers Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler and Burhan Azeem are pushing forward on ordinances to build more housing -- a necessary part of the fight to make it more affordable.
More on housing: In Albemarle, VA, county supervisor Mike Pruitt is pushing forward on creating an affordable housing trust fund — money used solely to finance affordable housing projects.
St. Louis Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier is proposing new legislation to reform a process around opening homeless shelters, making it easier to get to a hearing.
Alum Jennifer Mandelbaum was officially sworn in as a new member of the NH state house. Swearing-in photos always get me 🥹
As we keep an eye on the RFS bench: RFS alum DE Sen. Sarah McBride talked with NYMag about her campaign for Congress: “I’m not running to make history, I’m running to make a difference. That’s how we guarantee that more and more people from various backgrounds are able to not just run, but win and serve.”
In related reading: ICYMI, A Democrat running specifically on abortion and IVF access won a special election for a deep red state house seat in Alabama. While this was not a RFS race, that it happened is a powerful reminder of why we do what we do: People who share our values can and do win, even when the odds are long, if the candidates can keep the race localized, specific, and personal. Candidate Marilyn Lands told her personal story of abortion and reproductive health care as part of her campaign — she didn’t shy away or mealy-mouth around it.
Races like this one hammer home how important it is for us to fight everywhere, even and especially outside the battlegrounds. To eventually win big, we have to win small many times over.
Finally, in some org news: At the end of 2024, my incredible co-founder, Ross Morales Rocketto, will be moving on from this work. You can read his full statement here. Working with Ross has been one of the best parts of the last seven (nearly 8!) years, and I’m both so sad to see him go, and so thrilled to see what comes next for him.
As for me, I’ll transition to a new role as President of Run for Something, and we’re hiring a new Executive Director to join the team and lead the next chapter. You can read the full job description here — please help us find the best person for this critical role!
Thanks for sticking with us. Onward & upward!
- Amanda
I really believe these often first-time office seekers are the best hope for bringing voters out, and offer the best way to ensure a deep Democratic bench in the future.