The 2024 national elections are in full swing. The presidential primary season is winding down, and congressional primaries are scheduled throughout the summer. Communities, candidates, and advocates around the country are preparing for a summer and fall full of voter registration drives, candidate forums and rallies, debates, and political conventions. This campaign season is an ideal time for local leaders – whether affiliated with a major political party or not – to uplift the importance of cities, towns and villages on the national stage.
To help local officials get ready, NLC’s Presidential Election Task Force has put together a new Advocacy Toolkit (PDF) with sample social media posts, templates, advocacy tips, and talking points.
Use this toolkit to reach out to the presidential or congressional candidates visiting your region and speak about the issues that matter most to local governments.
Communicating with or about a candidate does not have to constitute an endorsement. Even a private meeting with a candidate or their staff team can be an opportunity to share the challenges your community faces, the resources you need to achieve your local goals, and the way you’d like to hear candidates address the value of local leaders and local governments as part of their campaign platform. Particularly in competitive districts and states, these conversations have the power to shift the national narrative around cities, towns and villages.
When speaking with campaigns about local priorities such as supporting a local workforce pipeline, or increasing housing supply and stability, encourage them to talk about these issues with local partnership in mind. You may not always see eye to eye with every candidate, but they should be able to tell local leaders and voters how they will prioritize a strong partnership with cities, towns and villages through their own platform.
In addition to launching this new advocacy resource, NLC’s Presidential Election Task Force will host informational webinars about the election and participate in both parties’ national conventions this summer. Numerous local officials will participate in the conventions in Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL, as delegates from their states or will attend to watch the proceedings.
If you plan to attend the Republican National Convention this July in Milwaukee, WI or the Democratic National Convention this August in Chicago, IL, please let us know using this brief form. NLC leaders will be on the ground in both cities, meeting with delegates and local leaders, supporting municipal officials in attendance, and representing the nation’s cities, towns, and villages throughout the convention season.
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