“Fear is real, you’re going to be afraid. Leadership is proceeding on despite the fear.” – Bill Henry, Baltimore City Comptroller
To those who are one of just a few voices that speak out with sometimes shaky voices to stop big tech and AI from proliferating every aspect of our lives.
To those who put your bodies on the line, with real risk of getting tear-gassed or arrested, to protest the reign of terror ICE unleashes on our communities.
To those who use public policy to show love and care for your neighbors, even if the legislation or vote may be controversial.
Local Progress’ 2026 National Convening: Fearless Leadership * Joyful Liberation was for you.
Thank you for being a part of our biggest convening yet! From small towns to big cities, to rural areas to suburbs, more than 550 of you joined us in Baltimore to embody leading despite fear and choosing joy despite the challenges ahead.
Together, we reflected on how fearless leadership doesn’t mean never feeling afraid, but rather choosing to be courageous for the neighbors and communities we lead. Together, we were honest about what it means to govern with our unique and intersecting identities. Together, we strategized about how to tax the rich to fight for an affordable future, block the billionaire data center buildout, and continue pushing back against rising authoritarianism. And just when we needed it, we filled our cup with inspiration from our keynotes featuring Washington D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis-George and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Our National Convening continues to grow each year, with nearly 400 local elected officials in attendance this year. Our gathering provided electeds from across 41 states, including D.C. and Puerto Rico, a haven to unpack the challenges of governing amid a hostile federal administration and a learning space for members to strategize and organize together to face the challenges ahead with renewed resolve and courage.
We are especially grateful for our host committee members in Baltimore, including Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore City Council President Zeke Cohen, Baltimore School Board Commissioner Ashley Esposito, Baltimore City Councilmember Paris Gray, and former LP Executive Director and Baltimore resident Sarah Johnson.
We’re also thankful for the partnership of local partners and members, including Councilmember Odette Ramos, Councilmember Ryan Dorsey, Councilmember Jermaine Jones, and Councilmember James Torrence, Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO President Courtney Jenkins, Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MIMA), The Baltimore Pride Center, TREND CDC, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks Shake and Bake Fun Center, Rebuild Johnston Square Neighborhood Organization, Bikemore, and Baltimore Unity Hall.
Look through our time together in our photo album on Facebook, read through our recaps on social media to relive some of our most powerful and thought provoking moments at the LP 2026 Convening.
We were honored to have Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott among several Baltimore leaders who helped open the space by grounding us in our identities as electeds who make change happen with and for our communities. Local Baltimore leaders continued the conversation through a panel on what fearless leadership means to them.
“In a time where it is difficult to be brave and easier to ignore the problems, the Local Progress network has shown us its conviction to lead and serve communities with unwavering courage.” – Ivan Luevanos-Elms, Executive Director, Local Progress + Local Progress Impact Lab
“There couldn’t be a more important moment in this movement to rebuild this democracy. LP taught us how to organize power, work with grassroots partners, and how to push back against the cruelty and corruption of the federal government.” – Zeke Cohen, Baltimore City Councilmember
“I’ve always believed that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. But far too long, decisions were made by elected officials who did not know or did not care about those they were supposed to serve. My mother said, ‘If you want it to change things, you have to do it yourself.’ It’s the reason why I’m here today.” – Brandon Scott, Mayor of Baltimore
“One of the most liberating things we can do is be ourselves, connecting with folks with shared identities. As electeds, it’s important to represent the community I come from – foster care and disability. It’s important for the next cohort of leadership for young people. They need to see themselves in their leaders. That we feel affirmed, powerful, sharing information across cities and fighting together.” – Ashley Esposito, Baltimore School Board Commissioner
“LP reminds me that whenever it feels like a lot, there’s all of YOU in other places trying to do the same thing and trying to make things better.” – Bill Henry, Baltimore City Comptroller
“When you have collaboration, you have more buy-in. You can create the most comprehensive solution to anything. leading with a collaborative spirit.” – Courtney Jenkins, Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO President
Our plenaries reminded us of the importance of choosing courage over comfort, the power of the LP network, and what it means to be a neighbor from a place of love.
“Fearless leadership isn’t about never feeling fear. It’s about deciding that our love for community outweighs our fear. It is about choosing courage over comfort. It is about stepping into the moment when your name is called. As my grandmother would say, it’s about doing it anyway. Our job in this moment is not simply to manage the decline. Our job is to build what comes next. To show what public institutions can do, and be the engine for community change. That’s what this moment calls for.” – Janeese Lewis-George, Washington, D.C. Councilmember
“Don’t do the work alone – it can feel isolating whether you’re the lone member who is constantly voting against harmful policies. Find a home, whether it’s a small group of individuals or an entire community, to be able to be honest and vulnerable, and remind yourself, you’re not alone.” – Jessie Fuentes, Chicago Alderperson
“Sometimes when you feel stuck, and the fear is winning out, it’s that connection [with other values-aligned electeds at LP] that is going to help you take action.” – Elliott Payne, Minneapolis City Council President
“We need each other now more than ever. We shouldn’t just be dropping progressive bills in Congress and not in our cities and our state legislatures. Right now, all of America, rural America, small-town America, has seen the racism and bald-faced lies of this federal administration. And all they need is dedicated public servants willing to fight for this new birth of freedom and fight for their welfare. And it is within our grasp.” – Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General
We learned and strategized on local issues, including: breaking down the latest SCOTUS decisions, how to navigate preemption, housing finance, local fights for affordability, championing public goods, taxing the rich, stopping the billionaire data center buildout, and so much more.
We also took time to intentionally explore the city of Baltimore through our site visits, from a walking tour on preserving and restoring Baltimore’s waterfront to checking out the redevelopment of the Edmondson Village Shopping Center to meet community needs. Site visits also offered a look at how Baltimore launched a public health-grounded plan to make it a trauma-responsive city, as well as insight into Baltimore’s LGBTQ+ history. We also held healing justice spaces at the hotel for attendees who needed more physical and emotional restoration through breathwork and stillness. Finally, we were proud to hold a training on personal safety for local electeds to address the mental and emotional toll threats and security breaches can have on our membership, as well as provide concrete steps on how those holding public office can keep themselves safe.
Our convening was a profound reminder that our collective courage is what will allow us to wield our power to not just protect our people but to create a world where all families can live and thrive freely and with dignity. If you found renewed energy, made connections, and felt seen, heard, and recharged – please consider supporting Local Progress to invest in our shared vision of a racially and economically just country for all.
“The site visit was wonderful, and not only did it allow us to experience an incredible project, but also allowed us to connect with fellow elected officials and talk deeper about what we are experiencing in our own jurisdictions.”
“The atmosphere was one where LP clearly understood that the magic happens when the space is created and stepping back. That said, the sessions gave me fantastic ideas. I love LP!!!”
“I learned a lot, I met some great people. But the biggest memory is overall just how WELL I was treated by LP. You are investing a lot in this organization, in this convening, and in us. It’s always nice to feel valued. But also, I feel the sense of responsibility that comes with that.”
“Every convening is memorable because of the people and the energy of each time we meet up. Always grateful to be here.”
– 2026 National Convening participants
Even in the bleakest conditions, our network of local electeds are the seeds that spread and thrive through the momentum of our shared agenda that puts love for people over profit. We are the challengers, strategizers, and changemakers who will get things done for one another and build the world we deserve.