By Amanda Litman

On January 20, 2017, Inauguration Day, we launched Run for Something, a political action committee dedicated to helping young people run for office by lowering the barriers to entry. We launched a website, opened up a bank account, filled out the paperwork, and sent a press release to a list we acquired from some friends in PR. Then we emailed our friends, posted on Facebook, and crossed our fingers.

The immediate reaction was astounding. Thousands and thousands of people signed up to say they want to run for office. Volunteers started dedicating hours of their weeks to talk to people about running. Hundreds of Obama, Clinton, and Bernie Sanders campaign alumni joined folks from across the progressive movement to mentor our candidates for free. We’re supporting our candidates with resources and funding—and, already, it’s making a difference in school board, city council, and state legislative races across the country.

Our goal is to change the landscape of the world by planting a whole lot of seeds in the form of young progressive candidates. I hope this book can help.

All rights reserved (P)2017 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Amanda Litman is the co-founder and executive director of Run for Something, a PAC that helps recruit and support young, diverse progressives running for down-ballot office. Previously, she was the email director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, digital director for Charlie Crist’s 2014 Florida gubernatorial campaign, deputy email director for Organizing for Action, and an email writer for Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2012 with a B.A. in American Studies. She lives in Brooklyn with her rescue dog, Sadie.