By Karen Stokes

Kamala Harris
(Photo/The White House)

Vote Run Lead Action is an organization that trains women to run for and win political office by “running as who they are.”

The White House Project was the forerunner of Vote Run Lead Action. The organization is led entirely by women, has an all-women, all-gender board, and is headquartered in New York.

“We train candidates and campaign managers. We want to make sure they have the training and resources they need to show up as who they are and be their authentic selves,” said Melissa Jackowski, West Regional Director, Vote Run Lead.

Notable alumni include Allie Phillips, who is running for the Tennessee House of Representatives, Lauren Underwood, U.S. Representative from Illinois, and Rosemary Ketchum, the first transgender person elected to political office in West Virginia.

With a woman running for the highest office in the land, Vote Run Lead Action has written an open letter to Kamala Harris to remind her that her strength lies in also “running as she is.”

Dear Kamala,

Election Day is less than 90 days away, meaning you have less than three months to run a perfect campaign that could mean the difference between democracy and authoritarianism. But hey, no pressure.

You will certainly have to sift through dozens of new polls every day telling you which way voters are leaning. You will have carefully crafted, focus group-approved messages. You will have consultants telling you how to talk, how to walk, and how to act presidentially. At Vote Run Lead Action, we have spent 10 years training tens of thousands of women to run successfully for office. We know what works. And we are here to say: Thank you for running as you are. Thank you for being your authentic self, full of life experience and years of dedication to our country.

We train women to run for every level of government without changing them or trying to put them through a machine – and it works. Because being authentic is your campaign’s strongest asset. There is no better proof that this works than you and your candidacy.

Voters across the country are energized to vote for the first time in a long time because you are in the race. They are excited at the prospect of our first Black and Asian American president, bringing the perspective of so many communities across the country.

So: Thank you for running as you are. Thank you for showing all sides of your authentic, complex self. Thank you for leading with joy. Be your imperfect, perfect self. We need it.

Love,
VOICE RUNLEADACTION

PS: Don’t let anyone tell you what to wear…but personally, we love your Chucks.

Vote Run Lead Action currently has an incredible 85.81% win rate for alumni in this year’s primary election!