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Taking the leap and launching a political campaign for the first time is a big step. The process can be challenging, especially for independent candidates running outside of the two-party system. Luckily, GoodParty.org Academy (GPA) is here to help people thinking of running as independent candidates find their path to victory.
As GoodParty.org prepares to launch two new cohorts of GoodParty.org Academy — one in Arkansas and another in California — we want to spotlight one of the leaders of this free online course: GoodParty.org’s head of field and mobilization, Rob Booth.
Rob Booth joined the GoodParty.org team in August 2022, after spending nearly 20 years gaining experience running successful electoral, legislative, and ballot campaigns. Now, Booth leads two departments at GoodParty.org (politics and mobilization) and works on the front lines of developing our political strategy. He also plays a critical role in refining our AI-powered campaign tools and raising grassroots support for people-powered candidates across the nation.
Most recently, Rob Booth has supported local independent candidates on the ground in Nashville, Tennessee and Durham, North Carolina. He even took a daring skydive for democracy to encourage voter turnout and raise awareness around the municipal election in Nashville.
Before joining GoodParty.org, Booth helped to pioneer deep-canvassing strategies during the marriage equality movement and later served as the National Field Director for RepresentUs. In both roles, he met with significant success — gaining valuable wisdom that he now shares with GPA participants.
“Starting in 2010, I was a part of the deep-canvassing experiments conducted in Maine supporting marriage equality, which centered on empathy-based persuasion over a simple rights and benefits approach,” Booth said. “We took that work to scale, and Maine became the first state to approve equal marriage at the ballot. I consulted on several more equal marriage wins before full passage in 2015.” In his role as national field director for RepresentUs, Booth helped to launch a national network of volunteers and pass 171 anti-corruption laws. Booth now brings his learnings from both of these rich experiences into his work helping new candidates learn what it takes to launch an effective campaign in GoodParty.org Academy. He especially focuses on voter outreach and field mobilization strategies.
“I focus on helping candidates hone their ‘why’ and the power of storytelling as a way to connect with voters,” Booth said. “I am a field guy at heart and help to teach our candidates how to leverage our tools to drive voter contact efforts that are at the heart of all winning campaigns.”
Another part of GoodParty.org Academy that Booth appreciates is the chance it gives potential candidates to connect with like-minded people. In his words, “The best part of GPA is the fellowship with other candidates. There is something powerful about realizing you are not alone.”
GoodParty.org Academy not only helps potential candidates to feel less alone; it also provides valuable tools and insights to help them plan a campaign with confidence. Rob Booth works together with GoodParty.org’s political director Jared Alper to lead participants in discovering best practices for running a campaign, as well as learning what to expect along the campaign trail. Together, Booth and Alper have 25 years of combined experience and are ready to guide the next generation of people-powered leaders toward success.
Are you ready to connect and get started with GoodParty.org Academy? No commitment to run a campaign is required. Participating in GoodParty.org Academy simply gives you the resources you need to determine whether launching a campaign could be the next right step for you. Sign up today to be part of the next GoodParty.org Academy cohort.
