CATHERINE (KATIE)CO-FOUNDER & GRASSROOTS ORGANIZER
POLITICAL ACTIVISM IN HER DNA
Catherine—known to friends and colleagues as Katie—brings to Welead OC a lifetime of progressive political engagement that started long before she could vote. Born into a politically active family, Katie's journey as an organizer began at just 13 years old, when she picked up the phone to volunteer for a Democratic congressional candidate in Indiana. This wasn't just childhood volunteering—it was the beginning of a lifelong commitment to progressive change in America's most challenging political environments.
FROM OBAMA TO O'ROURKE: FIGHTING IN THE TOUGHEST DISTRICTS
Katie's political instincts were sharpened during the groundbreaking 2008 presidential campaign, where she traveled regularly from her home in Chicago to knock on doors in Iowa and Indiana for Barack Obama. She witnessed firsthand how authentic, grassroots organizing could transform political landscapes previously thought unwinnable.
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In 2017, Katie took this experience to an even more challenging environment when she relocated from Chicago to a deeply conservative area outside Houston, Texas. Rather than stepping back from political work, she dove headfirst into one of the most watched Senate races in the country, volunteering with Beto O'Rourke's campaign and canvassing in some of the reddest districts in Texas.
BUILDING PROGRESSIVE POWER IN UNLIKELY PLACES
.Today, Katie continues her organizing work fighting to turn Texas blue through sustained, community-based organizing. This on-the-ground experience in one of America's most politically challenging states gives her unique insight into what progressive women candidates need to succeed in difficult districts.
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Katie's firsthand understanding of grassroots campaigning in conservative areas is central to Welead OC's approach. She knows that victory doesn't come from national messaging or traditional party structures, but from authentic connection to community needs and values—precisely the strengths that the progressive women leaders of Welead OC bring to their campaigns.
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