Amanda Cappelletti began running for the Pennsylvania State Senate just before the COVID-19 pandemic began. In this wide-ranging You Should Run Podcast discussion, Senator Cappelletti talks about her political upbringing and what she learned from jumping from local government to state government.

Topics include:

Bridges

The benefits and costs of bipartisanship

Redistricting

The value of different perspectives in public office, from experts in public health to a lack of knowledge on the tech industry

Electing more women to office and what changes may result by having a majority female legislature

Maternal health and helping mothers and fathers after pregnancy loss

Not giving up and focusing on the 2022 elections.

Follow Amanda on social media @amandaforpa

Quinton Law is the youngest and first black councilman in Moorestown, NJ, history. In this You Should Run Podcast, Quinton shares about what makes those milestones significant and how he was motivated by the killing of Trayvon Martin and organizing around Black Lives Matter.

Quinton discusses having hope in the face of fear and doom, the nuts and bolts of local organizing and policy making, and the impact that younger voices can have if they show up and run for office.

Listen, share, and subscribe and follow Quinton on social media @quintonlaw

After the 2020 Census, Montana is gaining a Congressional seat, which creates an opportunity for new candidates to run for office.

Tom Winter is looking to take his experience in Montana state government to run for Congress in 2022. In this You Should Run Podcast, Tom talks about how his mother's activism instilled a strong political awareness. He talks about the challenges of part time legislatures, encouraging young people to run for office, the effects of climate change in Montana, and why Democrats should show small towns that they are there for them.

Listen, share, subscribe and make sure to follow Tom on social media @WinterforMT

Lisa Ward has worked behind the scenes for many campaigns and causes for over 20 years. Now she is running for State Senate in Alabama for the same reason many other candidates throw their hat in the ring - incumbents taking their districts for granted and not listening to the needs of their constituents.

In this You Should Run Podcast, Lisa talks about how she came to run for office, why rural organizing is so important, how no voters should be taken for granted, and, of course, why YOU should run or office.

Listen, share, and subscribe and follow Lisa on Twitter @lisaward4senate

Running for office in 2021 is much different than running for office 20, 10, or even 5 years ago. In this You Should Run Podcast, Lauren Henson of New Heights Communications talks about the various ways that candidates can successfully navigate the social media, be authentic and reliable communicators, and stay on message. We also discuss the perspectives of young voters, combating "doomerism," and reasons to be hopeful in the months and years to come.

Listen, subscribe, and share and follow Lauren on Twitter @laurenhtexas and follow this podcast at @youshouldrunpod

Education has become a major flashpoint in American politics in 2021, with contentious school board meetings and elections across the country. In this You Should Run Podcast, Devin Del Palacio talks about his experience as an at-large member of the Tolleson Union High School Governing Board in Arizona, what prompted him to run for office in the first place, and looking out for students, parents, and school board members.

Listen, subscribe, and share today and maybe YOU should run or office too.

Colorado State Representative David Ortiz has an incredible perspective as a disable veteran and activist who has been using his life experience to connect with voters and other legislators.

In this You Should Run Podcast, Representative Ortiz talks about his motivation for running for office, the challenges of running as a first time candidate without a large financial network, forming coalitions with differing groups, disability rights, and why YOU should run for office too. Listen, share and subscribe today and follow David on Twitter @DavidDOrtizCO

Ras Smith's mother is a former military police officer who became a pastor and his father spent 40 years working for John Deere as an active member of his union. Through a life focused on farming, education, working class issues, labor rights, and social justice, Ras was already heavily involved in all aspects of politics and society in Iowa before he successfully ran for the state legislature in 2016.

Now Ras is running for Governor with a legislative resume and a focus on the future.

In this You Should Run Podcast, Ras talks about what motivated him to run for office the first time and how he decided to run statewide for 2022. He shares his successes in building trust and unity behind issues like criminal justice reform and his vision for passing solutions on clean water, education, and good jobs. He even shares some of his views on favorite professional wrestlers.

Listen, subscribe, and share and follow Ras on Twitter and other social media @RasforIowa

Timothy Ragland returned to Talladega and saw a community that needed help. So he decided to run for Mayor and won in a very close election.

In this You Should Run Podcast, Mayor Tim talks about making Talledega, AL, a community that attracts people and businesses, bringing in tech jobs by partnering with colleges and schools in the region, imposter syndrome, being a young voice in a high profile office, building trust during a pandemic, and, of course, why YOU should run for office.

Listen, share, subscribe and make sure to follow Mayor Tim on Twitter @TimothyLRagland

Gloria Johnson is a Tennessee State Representative, retired special education teacher, healthcare advocate, ally of public schools, and now a featured guest on the You Should Run Podcast.

In this You Should Run episode, Gloria Johnson shares her personal story in politics, from seeing political action in other states to organizing for Presidential candidate Barack Obama to becoming a County Chair in Tennessee. She also discusses how her convictions have made her a political target from the opposition, the impact of COVID, how the political is also personal, the trends in her state and the challenges of appealing to rural voters.

Since Gloria Johnson is from Knox County, we also share her perspective on how a professional wrestler is overseeing her community with a very rigid ideology.

This is a can't miss episode of the You Should Run Podcast, so don't forget to download, listen, and share. Follow Gloria on Twitter @VoteGloriaJ