Shaping Tomorrow Together
Our Journey
Forty years of asking the same question in public
Founded in 1985, Politician TNC emerged from a shared vision among a group of dedicated individuals who recognized the need for transformative leadership in our community. Since then, we have grown into a dynamic force committed to addressing the pressing issues that affect our citizens.
Integrity
Every donation, every meeting and every vote is published within a week. If we get something wrong, we say so first.
Inclusivity
Materials in four languages, childcare at every town hall, and a step-free venue every time. Turning up should not be the hard part.
Innovation
We test small before we spend big — a pilot block, a single route, one season — and we publish the results either way.
Become a volunteer
Two hours on a Saturday moves a ward further than any amount of advertising. Tell us how to reach you and a ward organizer will call within the week.
100K+Active voters
40K+Volunteers
120+Days in campaign
30K+Donors
Journey through time: the campaign's milestones
The Genesis (1985)
Eleven residents of the Fairmount block start meeting in a church hall over a stalled road repair. By spring they have a name, a mailing list and a first petition.
Inaugural Campaign Launch (1990)
The movement fields its first slate of school-board candidates. Two of four are elected, on a turnout twelve points above the district average.
Community Outreach Initiatives (1995)
The ward surgeries begin — a standing Saturday morning in each neighborhood, open to anyone, with no appointment and no agenda.
Key Policy Advocacy (2000)
A five-year push to publish council budgets in plain language ends in a unanimous vote. The first plain-language budget runs to nine pages.
Growth and Expansion (2005)
Chapters open in four neighboring districts, sharing a single volunteer handbook and a single promise: publish what you spend.
Notable Achievements (2010)
The participatory budget pilot returns $1.4m of decisions to residents. Ninety-one percent of the projects chosen were delivered on time.
Election Campaign (2015)
A district-wide campaign run entirely on small donations, with an average contribution of $34 and no gift above $500.
Electoral Success (2020)
Seven of twelve ward seats, and a mandate to take the participatory budget district-wide within a single term.
Our Movement
Nine long-running campaigns in the 12th District, each with a published aim and a number attached to it.
Join Our Next Gathering
Every event ends with a decision and a named owner. Papers go out a week ahead so you can arrive with the question you actually want answered.
