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Carlos Rousselin, a pharmaceutical scientist from Nashville, Tennessee, began wondering whether he should run for local office after learning about GoodParty.org Academy (GPA). GPA is GoodParty.org’s free online course designed to help potential candidates discover whether starting a campaign is the right next step for them. Soon after, Rousselin enrolled in GoodParty.org Academy. After graduating, he launched his campaign to represent District 24 on the Nashville Metro Council.
“Politics was nothing that I ever imagined I would be doing,” Rousselin said. He felt disillusioned with politics and frustrated with the two-party system. Enrolling in GoodParty.org Academy gave him the tools and confidence to change his vision for the future. In a word, Rousselin said that GPA represents opportunity.
A few factors fed into Rousselin’s desire to run for local office soon after graduation. He listed three key contributors to his decision: the fatal mass shooting at The Covenant School on Mar 27, 2023, the expulsion of two representatives from the Tennessee state legislature, and the rampant gerrymandering that makes it difficult for Nashville residents to achieve true representation. Rousselin said he hoped to make local politics more productive and representative, serving the interests of the people more than the current local government was doing.
“As you go through life and get older and realize the people in charge are not doing a great job or you feel like their heart isn’t in it or they have ulterior motives or there are things that are more important to them, then you start to question, ‘Okay well, why not me then? If somebody’s got to do it, why not me?’” Rousselin said.
Rousselin is an immigrant whose parents moved to the United States when he was two years old. He grew up in El Paso, Texas in a mostly Hispanic community. While attending GoodParty.org Academy, he was inspired by the diversity within his GPA cohort. Despite differences in backgrounds and political opinions, Rousselin said he felt that all the members of the cohort were dedicated to being impartial and making progress.
“There are ways to go through life and be with people who believe something different than you and still love each other, still do life together, still respect each other, and I think that’s what politics should be like,” Rousselin said.
Rousselin said he would also like politics to include more humility. “I’d like to see people whose dream is not to be a politician or president of the United States or senator or whatever, but their dream is just to serve their fellow man. I think people who are more caring and compassionate would serve this country well.”
Rousselin’s time in GoodParty.org Academy prepared him to be a more active participant in local politics. GPA allowed him to connect with a community of like-minded, independent thinkers. Rousselin has now applied to various Nashville subcommittees and looks forward to the possibilities opened by GoodParty.org’s evolving AI technology.
If you’ve ever wondered whether a run for political office could be right for you, GoodParty.org Academy is here to help. To connect and stay up to date on the latest news from GoodParty.org, book a meeting or sign up for our weekly newsletter.
