When Eddy Morales first moved back to Gresham, Oregon from Washington, DC, he did not plan to run for elected office. He expected to continue his business as a political campaign adviser and reconnect with family and community. Years in DC working with Voto Latino and Democracy Alliance had sharpened his considerable talents as a national policy advocate, and he wanted to engage civically at the local level. But when he watched the 2016 election returns with his nieces and nephews, intending to celebrate the election of the nation’s first women president, his heart sank. The election of Donald trump as president and the implications for his immigrant family members and their partners, some of whom were not citizens, motivated him to act. He advocated to the City Council for Gresham to assume Sanctuary City status and challenged the intrusion of ICE into community life. When responses ranged from indifference to hostility, he took stock of the political landscape and determined that transforming the status quo meant getting involved at more structural level. People of color and the LGBTQ community felt invisible in Gresham and as their numbers and contributions grew, Eddy knew that it was time to step into the policy making arena. He formed East County Rising and mobilized the community to get involved. The story of the door-knocking, trust building and winning campaigns to follow are a revelation. And hopefully, a playbook for the next city to step up.