About Our Founder
Teresa Purcell
In 1992, she managed the campaign that elected Washington State's first female U.S. Senator. She helps build power from the ground up to advance a democracy, government and economy that works for all of us.
230+
Campaigns
$30M+
Initiatives
35+
Years
We help build power from the ground up to advance a democracy, government and economy that works for all of us.
For over 35 years, Teresa Purcell has been unafraid to take on what others deem impossible. Renowned for building power for women, rural, and BIPOC voices across the nation, she has championed innovative strategies in communications, mobilization, data, and capacity-building.
She pioneered the use of data analytics in vote-by-mail programs, voter engagement modeling, and list enhancement to challenge assumptions and increase the efficacy of voter engagement programs, long before “data-driven” became a buzzword.
In 1992, she led U.S. Senator Patty Murray's first campaign, helping elect Washington State's first female U.S. Senator. Teresa has continued to be a visionary strategist and communicator, working nationally on projects ranging from high-profile political campaigns to guiding local community-based groups to build their organization and power.
In 2022, she served as Senior Advisor for Rural Engagement at the DNC and as a volunteer advisor to Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's Congressional campaign. Committed to mentorship, she has trained and coached hundreds of women candidates and nonprofit leaders.
“We don't chase short-term wins. We build durable power.”
Coming Home
In 2007, Teresa returned to her rural hometown of Longview, Washington, where her family has lived since the 1940s. Shocked by its decline, she ran for State Legislature in 2016, losing by just 559 votes out of 57,000 cast in a Trump-wave election in Southwest Washington.
Since then, she has worked to engage national stakeholders in the necessity of grassroots power-building across geographies to drive durable progress on critical issues. She founded Long View Impact to bring decades of national expertise to the organizations, foundations, and coalitions that need it most.
Media & Speaking
Teresa is a sought-after keynote speaker, facilitator, and expert communicator. She hosted Building Bridges on conservative talk radio for four years and is currently rural affairs editor for Pacifica Radio's We Decide: America at the Crossroads with Jenna Flanagan.