This space aims to highlight the experiences of women, people from marginalized genders, and allies who engage in democracy, take on leadership roles, and run for office, while spreading awareness of these experiences and creating a platform for solidarity to share and learn from one another.

The Victory of Running is dedicated to inspiring us all to learn, support, and grow together. Then take that virtual energy and spread it to our friends and neighbors—the community that surrounds us physically. We do not pay enough attention to the building blocks of civic engagement that lead to running for office, nor do we celebrate and honor the people who put their name on the ballot, but do not end up with the most votes on election day. When we leave history makers out of history, we miss the opportunity to both learn from their experiences and honor their contributions. 

Civic change is more than winning elections, and this space focuses on empowering, seeing, and hearing from people who have not historically made up the majority in political and civic leadership. As such, I aim to uplift the voices of women, people from marginalized genders, and their allies, as their contributions to our civic world often go unnoticed. When their contributions go unnoticed, stories remain untold and history goes unreported. This project aims to ensure that we share our stories, learn from one another, and in the process further develop our own civic agency.

Why women and people of marginalized genders*?

This space celebrates people who have put their names on the ballot, run a campaign, and taken on civic leadership. Through an interview format, we will hear firsthand from women, people of marginalized genders, and allies who have run for office, taking this brave leap, but did not get the most votes on election day. Through our discussions, we can gain a deeper understanding of what would have been helpful to them in this process. The goal of this project is to take a whole-person approach to leadership and civic engagement. This is a virtual hub where women interested in running for office, those who have run, women in leadership roles, and those civically curious can gather to celebrate and reimagine our lives and our civic landscape.  

*I might use the shorthand ‘women’ in some of our writing, but I aim to create an inclusive space.