During the DNCC I flagged how *so many* of our national leaders got their start in local office (which is one of many reasons to invest in @runforsomething.)

This is also true of the GOP. A ~thread~ on the "rookie years" of some of (few) elected GOPers speaking at the RNC... /1

Tim Scott was first elected to the Charleston County Council, then took a seat in the SC general assembly before he was elected to Congress. /2

Steve Scalise, currently Minority Whip in the U.S. House, was elected to the Louisiana State House when he was 31 years old. /3

At 28 years old, Matt Gaetz was elected as a member of the Florida state house. Hot take: He is not a good person! /4

Rep. Jim Jordan, who turned a blind eye to sexual abuse at OSU, was elected to the Ohio state house when he was 31. /5

Former Gov. Nikki Haley got her start as a politician in the South Carolina state house when she was only 33. /6

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds was first elected as Clarke County treasurer, then briefly took a seat in the Iowa state senate. /7

Current Florida LG Jeanette Nuñez was a member of the FL state house in her late 30s. /8

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn was first a member of the Tennessee state senate before she ran for Congress. /9

U.S. Senate Joni Ernst was elected Auditor of Montgomery County when she was 35, then later took Kim Reynolds' seat in the IA state senate. /10

Governor Kristi Noem was elected to the South Dakota state house when she was 36. /11

Rep. Lee Zeldin was a member of the NY state senate when he was 31. /12

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was elected to the California state assembly in his late 30s. /13

And finally: Senate Majority Leader/monster Mitch McConnell was elected the Jefferson County Judge/Executive when he was 35 years old. /14

That's a long way of saying: One of many reasons to care about local Democrats candidates like the ones @runforsomething works with is because Republicans *absolutely* care about theirs. If we win locally, we can keep some of their worst out of entering the political arena. /15

If the positive stories of last week didn't get you to give, maybe the negative ones will scare the shit out of you. Either way, donate what you can to recruiting & supporting local Democratic candidates. Your donation matters now more than ever. /end https://secure.actblue.com/donate/rfs?refcode=al0824