First Steps as a Newly Elected, State Committee Delegate

The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) is both a political party and a grassroots political activist organization. The Green Party is also an association of citizens who strive to make PA a more just and sustainable Commonwealth. Green Party members organize using education, direct action and inclusive electoral politics. During 2025, the Green Party recruited PA State Committee delegates from eleven new counties. The GPPA Communication Team requested one of those recently-elected delegates to suggest ideas for first steps.

By Mumtahanah Williams-Ansari (Dauphin County)
Delegate to Green Party of Pennsylvania State Committee

Okay, you’ve finally done it. You’ve grown tired of sitting on the sidelines, settling for candidates you only halfway believe in—candidates for whom you’ve lowered the bar with each passing election. No longer are you willing to watch the world burn around you without at least attempting to douse the flames. You’ve decided it’s not enough to complain, express disgust, or pray to a God who calls you to action. It’s finally time to do your part: to speak out about the ever-increasing rates of poverty, homelessness, and illiteracy, and to stand against the myriad injustices that plague society.

You stood on the edge and dove into the vast pool of politics knowing little, yet determined to live the change you want to see. You swam from one deep end to the other, nearly drowning in the rhetoric and lies that pulled and tugged at your ankles like unnoticed kelp of the sea. Finally, you noticed a small group waving for you to come their way toward safety. They were a passionate bunch who eagerly hoisted you from the muck, dried you off, and invited you into their community. Before you knew it, you were part of an expanding movement built on the premise of achieving justice and equity for all people while protecting the environment. You assured them that you were committed to helping bring their mission to fruition.

Then you got the call: you were elected as a county delegate for the Green Party!

Initially, it was exciting. You thought about all the wrongs you would help make right. Then, after the high subsided, you began to feel a sense of uncertainty. What exactly did it mean to be a county delegate? What were your responsibilities? What was expected of you? When you asked, you were only told that it meant you could vote on behalf of other Greens in your region. But what did that mean? And was that all there was to it? Surely, there must be more to it than that!

If this sounds familiar, don’t fret—you are not alone. It’s common for newly elected delegates to find themselves wondering where to start, especially with so few clear guidelines or roadmaps to set us on course. But don’t worry—your new position is an opportunity to turn your passion into meaningful action, to nurture the values you believe in, and to create the change your community needs.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Educate Yourself and Others
Start by understanding the Green Party’s Four Pillars and Ten Key Values. Share this knowledge with your community to spark conversations and build awareness. Host workshops, discussion groups or information sessions to help others connect with the party’s mission.

Smaller steps: Start with relatives or friends who respect you and will give you a chance. Host a virtual coffee chat or meet-up, or create a group chat to discuss an issue the Green Party addresses, such as free healthcare.

2. Engage Your Community
As a Green Party delegate, you are a voice for your county. Organize town halls or listening sessions to learn about the issues that matter most to your neighbors. Use these insights to inform your advocacy and amplify local concerns within the Green Party.

Smaller steps: Develop informational flyers to post on community bulletin boards, use social media to host live Q&A sessions, or start a neighborhood “walk-and-talk” to informally discuss the issues on everyone’s mind.

3. Collaborate with Fellow Delegates
Connect with other Green Party delegates to exchange ideas and strategies. Together, you can build campaigns, plan events, or advocate for policies that reflect your shared values.

Smaller steps: Host a Zoom meeting to brainstorm action plans or help at each other’s events to learn new approaches to community outreach.

4. Champion Local Initiatives
Identify opportunities to support community-led projects, whether it’s starting a community garden, organizing mutual aid networks, or advocating for sustainable development policies in your area.

Smaller steps: Volunteer at a local food bank or cleanup drive, host swaps for free clothing and essentials, or create a Facebook group where locals can ask or barter for assistance (e.g., carpooling, food donations).

5. Advocate for Structural Change
Use your position to push for reforms that align with Green Party values, both within the party and in the broader political landscape. Advocate for ranked-choice voting, campaign finance reform or local environmental protections.

Smaller steps: Develop videos or info-graphics for social media that break down complex topics into understandable points. Partner with advocacy groups already working for structural change or host a Zoom meeting and invite experts to speak on specific reforms.

6. Embrace Electoral Politics
Understanding and engaging with electoral politics is essential to creating meaningful change. Electoral politics encompass the systems, strategies and actions surrounding elections and political representation. As a State Committee delegate, you will have a unique opportunity to advocate for Green Party values while mobilizing your community for fair representation.

Smaller steps: Organize discussions about the importance of opposition voices and alternate voting systems (i.e. ranked-choice voting). Volunteer to work on election campaigns for Green Party candidates and help to ensure Green Party candidates are on ballot.

Conclusion
Being a delegate does not mean you have to have all the answers. You are part of a team, and we all have our part to play. Your job is to find out what is needed in your community so that you can assist in bringing about impactful solutions.

Remember why you got off the sidelines in the first place: to help make lasting change and to inspire others to do the same. Let’s go!

For further information, please contact the GPPA Communication Team at [email protected] The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA), https://www.gpofpa.org, is an independent political party which stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party’s Four Pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity. For further information about GPPA, please email [email protected]. Please follow GPPA on social media: Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/gpofpa/; Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/pagreenparty/; and X, https://x.com/GreenPartyofPA 

For more information:
Four Pillars, Green Party of the United States, https://www.gp.org/the_four_pillars 

Ten Key Values, Green Party of the United States, https://www.gp.org/ten_key_values 

New Member Handbook, Green Party of Pennsylvania, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YqD52CHw5YpWwsdaOJXUXa1YG24D4vQ5/edit