Somebody's Gotta Do It
Why Cursing at the News Won't Save the Nation, But Your Name on a Local Ballot Can
ISBN10: 1250247632
ISBN13: 9781250247636
Hardcover
240 Pages
$24.99
CA$33.99
Back in the fall of 2016, before casting her vote for Hillary Clinton, Adrienne Martini, a knitter, a runner, a mom, and a resident of rural Otsego County in snowy upstate New York, knew who her Senators were, wasn’t too sure who her Congressman was, and had only vague inklings about who her state reps were. She’s always thought of politicians as . . . oily. Then she spent election night curled in bed, texting her husband, who was at work, unable to stop shaking. And after the presidential inauguration, she reached out to Dave, a friend of a friend, who was involved in the Otsego County Democratic Party. Maybe she could help out with phone calls or fundraising? But Dave’s idea was: she should run for office. Someone had to do it.
And so, in the year that 26,000 women (up from 920 the year before) contacted Emily’s List about running for offices large and small, Adrienne Martini ran for the District 12 seat on the Otsego County Board. And became one of the 14 delegates who collectively serve one rural American county, overseeing a budget of $130 million. Highway repair? Soil and water conservation? Child safety? Want wi-fi? Need a coroner?
It turns out, local office matters. A lot.
Reviews
Praise for Somebody's Gotta Do It
“America’s problems are never going to get solved until people learn that the power to change government is in their hands. Somebody’s Gotta Do It is hilarious, necessary, and shows that amazing things can happen when people put themselves on the line and run for office. Everyone should run for office and everyone should read this book.”—Amanda Litman, author of Run for Something
"[With] self-deprecating humor, practical advice (such as packing snacks for long committee meetings), and insights into obscure but important issues . . . Martini elevates her story above the minutiae of county board proceedings. The result is a useful guide for those contemplating the plunge into electoral politics."—Publishers Weekly
Reviews from Goodreads
BOOK EXCERPTS
Read an Excerpt
Introduction
You are angry. You are afraid. Given all that has happened in recent years, you can’t see how to get this country back on a sane path, one with protections for the most vulnerable people and our environment. And...