Across our nearly 1,500 members, there’s a unique story for every local official about what brought them into government. Some have had a passion for service since a young age, while others were called by their community to serve in a moment of crisis. No matter the inspiration, each story across our network is a special moment, weaving together the beautiful stories of every single one of our members.
For the final video in our #LocalStory series for 2025, we’re proud to share a collection of the many reasons our members have been called to service. From Denver City Council Member Shontel Lewis, who was “bullied” into running, to Meadville Mayor Jaime Kinder, who ended up running after attending community meeting after community meeting, these are the real stories bringing in real champions into local politics.
While our past videos have sought to highlight the real and challenging work of our members in office, our last video of the year tells the story of how our members go into office. With so many new progressive leaders stepping into local office and joining our network after a historic election day, there are thousands of real stories like this across the country and across our network.
From Syracuse to Sacramento, each story is not only distinctive but also speaks to the amazing personalities of our member leaders. In these candid and uplifting vignettes, our hope is not just to humanize our local elected officials but to share the real stories that called them to serve their communities.
But while each story is distinct, at its core is a dedication and connection to the communities our members serve. Every member of Local Progress is not only steadfast in their commitment to our values of advancing racial and economic justice, but is also rooted in partnership with the communities they serve. These stories highlight one of the core components of the Local Progress network – co-governance.
Beyond our shared values, this video highlights how each and every one of our members not only came from community but continues to govern with them. It’s these origin stories of how our members came into local service that not only show their continued dedication to their communities but also how ingrained they are in the fabric of their neighborhoods. From progressive networks to concerned citizens, our members come out of their own local networks that connects community to local government.
Thank you for helping share our members’ stories through our #LocalStory series. This project is a commitment from Local Progress to use new tools to help local elected officials share their stories in their own words.
You can share and watch our video on social media using the links below.