PRESS RELEASE: Pipeline Fund Expands into NE, TN and MN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pipeline Fund Expands into Nebraska, Tennessee and Minnesota

New partnerships target extremist supermajority in TN, ICE-driven organizing surge in MN, and underrepresented rural communities in NE

WASHINGTON, DC—Amid a surge in grassroots organizing activity across the county, the Pipeline Fund today announced it is expanding into Nebraska, Tennessee and Minnesota – growing its network to 17 states and adding three new local partners: LEAD Nebraska Action, LEAD Tennessee, and Groundwork Action (MN).

The Pipeline Fund will partner with each organization to recruit, train, and support prospective candidates for races ranging from from school boards to state legislatures, providing them with the infrastructure they need to navigate the complexities of modern campaigning and governing – and to build governments that actually look like the communities they serve.

“When our elected officials look like the communities they represent, the policies they pass are more responsive to the urgent needs of their constituents,” said Denise Feriozzi, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Pipeline Fund. “In Nebraska, Tennessee, and Minnesota, there is a powerful hunger for leadership that is rooted in community values. We are thrilled to partner with local leaders in these states to ensure that progressive and values-aligned candidates don’t just have the courage to run, but have the infrastructure, training, and long-term support they need to win and lead.”

The expansion comes at a moment of heightened political urgency. In Minnesota and Tennessee, the organizations report an influx of candidate interest driven in part by escalating federal ICE activity — including the recent detention of a Nashville journalist covering immigration enforcement — underscoring the stakes of who holds local and state office. In Nebraska, a rapidly growing rural population has outpaced political representation, creating an opening for a new generation of community leaders to step up.

In Tennessee, LEAD Tennessee will be led by Metro Nashville Councilwoman Delishia Porterfield, with a focus on training staff, candidates, and organizations, with recruitment and candidate training efforts focused on breaking the extremist supermajority in the state legislature and building the bench of strong, progressive leaders at the local level.

“LeadTN is proud to join the Pipeline network as a partner committed to identifying, recruiting, training, and supporting values-aligned candidates to run for office – and win – in Tennessee,” said Councilwoman Delishia Porterfield. “At a time when too many voices are being shut out of power, we’re building a new generation of leaders who believe in strong public schools, fair wages, affordable communities, and the freedom and dignity of every Tennessean. Our state is strongest when we take care of our neighbors—no matter who they love, where they come from, or what they earn—and we’re working to elect leaders who will fight for that future.”

In Minnesota, Groundwork Action will be led by organizer Wintana Melekin, with a focus on training staff, candidates, and movement organizations across the state with deep investment in candidate recruitment and training for down ballot races.

“Minnesota has always been a place where people show up for each other, and what we’re seeing now is proof of that. When our communities are under threat, people don’t retreat. We organize,” said Wintana Melekin, Executive Director of Groundwork Action. “We’re ready to channel that energy into building the kind of durable political power that lasts well beyond any single election cycle.”

In Nebraska, LEAD Nebraska Action will be led by county commissioner from Douglas County Roger Garcia, with a focus on recruitment and training specifically targeting approximately 20 local races across nine counties in the state’s fast-growing rural regions.

“I am so excited to launch an initiative that will build an infrastructure across Nebraska, especially for our rural communities, that will support the immensely talented next generation of leaders that are eager to learn, grow, and step up to become the next wave of leaders and representatives in their local communities,” said LEAD Nebraska Action’s Executive Director Roger Garcia.

Since its founding, the Pipeline Fund has worked to close the representation gap in state and local government. By providing data-driven tools, direct funding, and a robust support network, the Pipeline Fund empowers a new generation of leaders—including women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and working-class individuals—to run for office and govern effectively. At the national level, the Pipeline Fund’s work brings together a growing network of state-based partners, alongside leading national organizations like EMILYs List, Run for Something, National Democratic Training Committee, and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. Together they are building a sustainable pipeline of reflective, local leadership ready to govern in communities across the country.

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About the Pipeline Fund:

The Pipeline Fund is working toward a reflective democracy where skilled, diverse, community leaders are fully supported to run for office, run campaigns, and advance progressive policies that address the urgent needs of all Americans. Learn more at https://www.pipeline.fund/.