RFS feel-good update (6/23): 50,000!
That's new people signing up to run since the election
Hi all -
Big news today: More than 50,000 people have signed up to run for office since the November election — a surge that outpaces the first three years of Trump’s first term.
Our overall pipeline now exceeds 210,000 young people thinking about running for office — the largest of its kind around.
This pipeline, combined with our best-in-class endorsement + support program, makes Run for Something the premiere organization for young leaders stepping up for public service — we are one of the few national organizations building power at the hyperlocal level in all 50 states, day-in, day-out.
You built this. Thanks.
About the ongoing threats against elected officials and candidates:
First: RFS alum rep. Huldah Momanyi-Hiltsley has a beautiful reflection on her neighbors and friends, Speaker Melissa and Mark Hortman
Then if you can, read this story from Stateline about the violence that has increased in the last few years. RFS alum MI Rep. Laurie Pohutsky — among others — notes the increase in death threats she has gotten, and the fear she has about her family being at risk.
Legislators are taking some concrete steps forward — making it harder for their addresses to be public, among other things — and Run for Something offers support for candidates, including safety protocols, digital privacy training and mental health support as much as we can.
But it shouldn’t be this way. RFS alum have been speaking up about their own experiences, including Arlington County Board member Maureen Coffey, MI Rep. Noah Arbit, and others. We have their backs however we can.
Some programming updates:
Last week we hosted our monthly candidate intro call — peruse some of the comments and feedback to feel good:
I just got on the ballot for my local election and I'm looking for more team building resources. A friend sent me the Run for Something website. I'm excited to look over all the resources sent from the webinar.
"I have always felt called to uplift the community around me, and with the recent political developments, as well as the state of the world and the climate crisis worsening, I feel extremely motivated to take actions. I am a bit nervous because I don't have a large network, so before I start running I shall be building my rolodex."
“The call was dynamic and welcoming, very supportive, and I appreciate the sensitive motivation and clarity. Thank you for making space for me <3”
“Very informative session... It was nice to see other individuals who are interested and enthusiastic about running for ‘something’ just as much as I am.”
“The training helped me understand what's available if I run... I feel strongly that how government is being done is wrong and I can help.”
“It was motivating, optimistic, and very informative.”
“Gave me good, practical resources that made the process less overwhelming.”
This live call will walk you through everything that’s new:
Our new training tracks to will help you figure out if, when, and how to run
A national network of mentors, including former candidates and campaign professionals
A new online community space where you can connect with others, ask questions, and get support along the way
Whether you're still exploring a possible run or already starting to plan your campaign, this program is designed to meet you where you are.
If you’ve attended one of our welcome calls before, this one will go much deeper — we’ll show you the tools and opportunities we’ve built to help you take the next step.
This is your chance to be one of the first to access the new platform, ask questions, and connect with the team behind the scenes. We can’t wait to see you there.
We’ve got some exciting special guests in the works for this launch event — stay tuned!
If you’re not ready to run but want to do more to help Run for Something, join our next volunteer training call on July 9th. We’ll walk you through all the ways you can be a part of this community.
There’s no bad way to be part of the RFS team.
RFS community updates:
Meet Ric Galvan, the newest member of the San Antonio city council — at 24 years old, he’ll be one of the youngest people ever elected to the body. His priorities include affordable housing, sustainable growth, and infrastructure improvements.
IL Sen. Rachel Ventura spoke out against Texas using Illinois license plate reader data to track women seeking abortion care.
Cambridge City Councilmember Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler is working with colleagues to put together a municipal transit pilot program, including connecting the dots between the various transit systems already functioning across the community — MBTA, MIT, Harvard, EZRide, corporate shuttles, and more.
NY Sen. Jeremy Cooney introduced legislation to implement a statewide cap on towing fees.
CO Rep. Brianna Titone writes in Rolling Stone about how Trump’s tax bill will block her legislation to regulate AI.
This is a heartbreaking but beautiful profile of the leaders who stepped up to run after the tragic shooting at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, including RFS alum JA Moore:
““Without that tragedy, I would have never ran for office,” recounted JA Moore, who lost his sister in the shooting and now represents a state legislative district that includes North Charleston. “Without that tragedy, I would’ve never done a lot of things that I’ve done. It’s my compass. It’s my guiding light. It’s everything that I am.””Get to know Emma Curtis, the first trans person elected to a city council seat in KY and only the second trans person ever elected in the state.
”When I think about pride month, I think about the way things were here in Kentucky when I was growing up, which was that I was taught a narrative that in order to be queer or trans or a member of the LGBTQ community, you had to be in New York or Los Angeles or in Europe or just somewhere else in general, that being LGBTQ was something that people elsewhere did, not something that people here in Kentucky just are. And I think we’ve come a long way from that. I think now we are seeing LGBTQ folks as we are, which is just as neighbors, as friends and family members, as part of the greater fabric that makes this Commonwealth so great. And so when I think of pride month now in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, I think about celebrating where we’ve been, where we are, and looking ahead to where we’re going.”
Heads up that this Tuesday we have 19 candidates on the ballot! Stay tuned for updates — we expect results (especially for NYC races) to take a while to come in, but we’ll keep you in the loop.
Thanks for being part of the work changing the country. You’re doing it!
- Amanda
I bought your new book for my cousins son who just graduated Texas University and is applying to law school. I hope he will be a RFS candidate in the near future!
I share your amazing organization with as many people as I can. Your candidates give me hope.