Launch partners include Emerge America, IGNITE, New American Leaders, New Politics, Run for Something, Run GenZ, Running Start, Victory Institute, Vote Run Lead, and Women’s Public Leadership Network.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Sunita Theiss
media@womenspublicleadership.net
Tel. 404-775-5075
Atlanta, Ga. (October 5, 2021)—Today, Women’s Public Leadership Network (WPLN) and nine additional candidate recruitment organizations have partnered with Snapchat to provide a native-to-mobile tool to help young people run for office.
Despite historic levels of youth civic engagement in recent elections, Gen-Zs and Millennials remain underrepresented in local, state, and federal government. Given Snapchat’s 90% reach among 13-24 year olds in the United States, WPLN is honored to team up with Snapchat as an inaugural partner for their in-app Run for Office program with the goal of equipping more young people to seek public office and appointments with resources and online training programs to help normalize the conversation around running for office among this next generation.
“I am excited for WPLN to partner with Snapchat to empower the next generation of young leaders on their political journeys through their in-app Run for Office program,” said Larissa Martinez, WPLN Co-Founder & President, “Our organization is built on the belief that all voices deserve to be represented at decision-making tables, and ensuring more Millennials and Gen-Z can be influential is a critical part of that.”
Through the new in-app program called Run For Office, Snapchat is providing a simple tool for young people and their closest friends to explore more than 75,000 opportunities to run for office on the state and local level - from Water Commissioner and School Board to City Council and State Representative. Once a Snapchatter identifies a certain elected position they want to run for, they are encouraged to connect with Women’s Public Leadership Network to help them get started with the first steps needed to start a campaign, provide candidate trainings, and support them throughout this experience.
"We hope launching the 'Run for Office' mini changes the idea of who can be in office -- that no matter who you are, where you come from, that you can make a difference in your local community by running for office based on the issues they care most about,” said Sofia Gross, Head of Policy Partnerships and Social Impact. “As a platform where young people come to chat with their closest friends, Snapchat has an important role to play in normalizing the conversation around pursuing elected office. We view this as a long term investment in the next generation of American leadership, starting at the local level. We want to help shape a more reflective and equitable democracy for all Americans, and that includes the Snapchat Generation — we can’t wait to see all they will do.”
With comprehensive online training and a network of state-based partners, WPLN’s mission is to educate, organize, and inspire women across the country to seek public office. Our online training platform also includes an exclusive online community for women who are interested in seeking public office and appointments at every level of government. Each course in our training curriculum is 100% free and is designed to be completed at each individual’s own pace. In February 2022, WPLN will host its Inaugural Leadership Summit—an in-person opportunity to connect with and hear from women and experts from across the country who are engaging at every stage of the political process.
For more information visit womenspublicleadership.net or contact us at media@womenspublicleadership.net.
Women’s Public Leadership Network (WPLN) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that educates, organizes, and inspires women to enter public office across the United States. We aim to mitigate barriers women face by partnering with a network of state-based organizations who identify, engage, and train women to run for elected office, obtain political appointments, and become more involved in the political process. WPLN also offers tools and opportunities designed to equip women with the knowledge and resources they need as they step up, get involved in the political process, and lead.