Why I Run ― 35 Progressive Candidates Who Are Changing Politics

Just weeks before President Trump was inaugurated, President Obama challenged voters in his farewell address: “If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself.” Since then, thousands have taken that rallying cry to heart. In the 2017 elections, a wave of determined, diverse leaders claimed progressive victories in unlikely places. And in 2018, they're doing the same. Why I Run: 35 Progressive Candidates Who Are Changing Politics collects original essays from women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and progressive allies who have recently run for office. High-profile contributors like Stacey Abrams (who could become the first black female governor in the country), Zach Wahls (who went viral after testifying in support of marriage equality in 2011), Andrea Jenkins (who was the first openly transgender black woman elected to office in the U.S.), and Michelle De La Isla (who is the first Latina mayor of Topeka, Kansas) share what encouraged them to run, what it takes to win, and what lessons can be learned in the face of a loss. Featuring a foreword from Iraq War veteran and sitting Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, Why I Run is a powerful testament to the importance of following your principles in a precarious political landscape.

Kate Childs Graham is a political speechwriter. She served as Communications Director for U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar. She also wrote speeches for principals and surrogates during the Clinton-Kaine campaign and the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Currently, she is a principal at West Wing Writers. She lives in Mount Rainier, Maryland.