Victory Empowerment Fellow Robert Salcido, a San Antonio field organizer for Equality Texas, spoke to Out in San Antonio about his experience at our Candidate & Campaign training. “It was intense,” Salcido said. “I would definitely recommend it to anyone considering running for office or being involved in a campaign.”
This spring, Salcido participated in the training as part of the first class of the Victory Empowerment Fellowship, which supports LGBTQ leaders of color and transgender leaders who seek to expand their campaign skills and policymaking power and be part of a strong cohort of movement leaders from around the country. (Find out more about the fellowship and sign up for alerts about next year’s application here.
For more than two decades, Victory has trained thousands of LGBTQ people who wanted to make a difference in their own communities as public officials. Robert Salcido is not the only Texan alum of our Candidate & Campaign Trainings; graduates of the program include Houston Mayor Annise Parker, former City Councilwoman Elena Guajardo, and Sheriff Lupe Valdez, the first Latina lesbian sheriff elected in the United States.
“[My victory] began with the expert Candidate & Campaign Training I received through the Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute, which provided the guidance, skills and support I needed to run for a seat that no Democrat had won in more than 25 years – and no woman had ever won,” said Valdez.
Alumni of Victory’s training programs, including Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), are among America’s most high-profile openly LGBTQ leaders
This July, Victory’s Candidate & Campaign Training will brave the hot Texas sun and return to the Lone Star State. Up to 40 LGBTQ people will gather in San Antonio for three days of intensive training on how to build an effective political campaign and position themselves as future candidates or campaign staffers. They’ll leave with an understanding of campaign basics, from fundraising to field work, and messaging to mail programs. They’ll hear the inspirational stories of LGBTQ elected officials who are currently serving, and meet the leadership of state and national LGBTQ organizations who can help them with future political campaigns.
We have a limited number of spaces left, so apply today for the chance to join us at our San Antonio training in July here.
