Electing Hundreds of Progressive Leaders from the Grassroots on a People’s Platform

WASHINGTON – Two years ago, a hundred progressive activists stood on stage at the People’s Action convention in Washington D.C. and pledged to run for elected office. Next weekend many of them will return to the same stage, now as elected officials in state and local offices, to urge others to take their passion and turn it into political power.

A thousand progressive activists from throughout the country are meeting in Washington, D.C. April 28-30 for the People’s Action convention “The People’s Wave.”

They will hear from U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (founder of OneAmerica); Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter; Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont; Rep. Ro Khanna, Silicon Valley; Jumaane Williams, New York City Public Advocate; and Mandela Barnes, the first African-American Lt. Governor of Wisconsin – and a member of Citizen Action Wisconsin.

People’s Action is one of the largest and the fastest growing multiracial, people’s organizations in the country, with 48 member organizations in 27 states and more than a million grassroots leaders

We’re committed to running hundreds of people from our member organizations for City Councils, State Legislatures, and U.S. Congress – and giving them the training, resources, and people-powered support they need to win.

“For too long we’ve had an apartheid system in America where our elected officials were disproportionately wealthy white men who enacted laws that helped big corporations and the billionaire class and hurt the rest of us. That stops now,” said Ryan Greenwood, Movement Politics Director for People’s Action.

“Members of our movement know firsthand the changes our country needs, and that we need to stand together to make it happen,” said Greenwood.

Here are a few of the other elected officials attending convention who started with People’s Action organizations:

  • Wisconsin State Sen. Jeff Smith
  • Michigan State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky
  • Wisconsin State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski
  • Maryland State Rep. Pamela Queen
  • Aurora, Colorado City Councilmember Crystal Murillo
  • Chicago City Councilmember Andre Vasquez
  • Bloomington City Council Alderwoman Jennifer Jazmin Carrillo Gomez