About a year ago 😱✨        Today marks the first anniversary of my name being on the ballot. Wild. Sometimes I wonder where that chutzpah came from. Running for office isn’t easy, but I have learned that we can all do hard things.        When I decided to run for State Senate, I was completely unknown to voters, and political pundits referred to me as “that girl in Western Mass.”        As the underdog, I raised over $150K in small-dollar contributions, reached thousands of voters in 9 towns and 3 cities, received national and local media attention, and secured massive endorsements. While I came up short in the final count, this historic campaign defied expectations because I prioritized people over politics.        To ensure we have a truly representative democracy, we desperately need more young people to put their names on the ballot. I’m using my experience as a candidate of many 'firsts' to recruit and support candidates and campaign staff to serve their communities and be their own ‘first.’      I can only hope that someone, somewhere is inspired to take the same risk to serve their community. You can do it. I believe in you.        But, hey, maybe politics isn’t your thing, so take this as your sign. I dare you to throw caution to the wind and try the thing that you’ve been too scared to do.     It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. You got this.  And I’m here to help.