Why You Should Run for Local Office in a Post-Trump Era
7 min
If you're like most Americans, Trump’s reclamation of power probably brought along a familiar sense of powerlessness — the feeling that democracy happens far away, behind big doors in marble buildings, now once again run by people who don’t care about your family or community.
But feeling powerless cannot be the only reality we open our eyes to. Many of the most consequential decisions affecting your daily life aren't being made in Washington. They're being made in your city council chambers, your school board meetings, and your state capitol. These are the officials who determine whether your streets get paved, whether your schools get funded, whether your local businesses survive, and whether your neighbors can afford housing.
In state legislatures and local governments across the country, decisions are made, and futures are set by many people who have nothing to do with Trump or his administration. These seats are up for re-election all the time, and whether or not we run for local offices will determine how we actually live while the GOP is still in power. And it says a lot about how seriously we take the MAGA challenge when 2028 rolls around.
The Supermajority Strategy
Let’s talk about supermajorities, because they're the silent players in democracy that we need everybody to talk about.
When one party holds a supermajority — typically two-thirds of the seats in a legislature — they can override a governor's veto. They can amend the state constitution. They can redraw district lines. They can pass virtually any law they want, with zero need for compromise, negotiation, or listening to the other side.
As of January 2026, Republicans hold supermajorities in 23 state legislative chambers. Democrats hold them in 11. That means Republicans have essentially unchecked power in more than twice as many states as Democrats.
We all know what's happened since Trump retook power. Teachers have been barred from educating their students. Environmental protections have been rolled back. Voting rights are always on the line. And in many cases, governors who tried to veto these measures were simply overridden.
It might feel dire and unchangeable. Except it’s not. Here’s what we can do: we can break their supermajorities.
Together, we can win enough seats to restore the veto and put a check on their power. To force negotiation between different voices. To make your governor matter again.
That’s achievable! We're talking about flipping 2-4 seats in many states. Not 20. Not even 10. Just enough to restore basic democratic function.
State Legislatures and Local Governments Affect Your Daily Life
Most people don’t know who their state legislators are. We’re trained to only focus on politics once every four years for presidential elections, or maybe during the midterms for engaged folks.
But in many ways, state legislators are even more instrumental in setting the standard for our daily lives than the president. While the White House dominates headlines, your state legislature is quietly passing hundreds of bills each session that directly shape how you live. And unlike Congress, which often grinds to a halt, state legislatures consistently pass laws.
They can determine:
How much you pay in taxes and what services you get for them
What your kids learn in school and how much funding their teachers receive
Whether you can afford healthcare and what reproductive choices you can make
How easy (or hard) it is for you to vote
Whether your air and water are protected
What your criminal justice system looks like
All these things that actually touch your daily life, your family, your neighbors, your community? They’re happening at the state and local levels, and we always have opportunities to challenge and change who’s in charge of those decisions. We don’t have to wait four years at a time to do it.
We Need You to Run for Local Office
More specifically, we think you should run for local office.
You’re probably thinking: "I'm not qualified." "I don't know enough about politics." "I've never given a speech in my life."
We disagree. The only prerequisite to a run for local office is a drive to make positive change in your community. If you’re looking at your leadership thinking, “I could do better,” you actually can. (That’s literally what NDTC exists for, but more on that in a minute.)
How many Republicans at the highest levels of leadership right now do you think asked themselves these same questions? They didn’t. They just decided to run. That's it. That's the difference.
Particularly in areas where a supermajority is narrowly held, your stepping up could be the thing that restores balance to entire towns, cities, and states. Your voice — whether you’re a teacher, a small business owner, a parent, a grandparent, or something else entirely — can bring negotiation and reason back to your Capitol and help make democracy thrive again.
The Support Ahead
When national narratives, headlines, and news cycles are loud and exhausting, keep your eyes closer to home. Know what districts matter for breaking supermajorities near you. That big long-term change to avoid another MAGA era starts in each one of our communities. Support the candidates you believe in and volunteer for their campaigns — smaller races especially rely on volunteers to get past the finish line. And if you look around and think, "Someone should really run in my area," consider that that someone is you.
Democracy doesn’t just happen in marble buildings in Washington D.C., and it doesn’t happen to you by people who are “more qualified.” It happens with you, by you, all the time.
So where do you start? Right here. NDTC offers free online training for candidates, campaign staff, and local leaders — whether you're thinking about running for school board, state legislature, or a federal seat. We'll help you make a decision that fits, show you how to launch a campaign, and give you the strategies it takes to win.
And we mean it when we say that the only prerequisite to a run for local office is a drive to make positive change in your community — and the 2 minutes it takes to set up an account with us. All of our trainings, courses, and resources are 100% free.
