Building Local Power First

Michigan leaders transform county politics

Today, Chokwe Pitchford is a county commissioner in Berrien, Michigan, where he has transformed local politics. But his path to get here has been nearly a decade in the making. In 2017, Pitchford was working in a movie theatre when then-hopeful state representative Joey Andrews offered him a job knocking doors on his campaign. Intrigued, Pitchford decided to take a leap of faith and agreed. In the months that followed, he talked to people in his community and saw their reaction to someone knocking on their door — listening and engaging with them — for the first time.

In 2020, with encouragement from local partners, Pitchford ran for state office. It was a tough race, and he didn’t win, but he developed skills and made lasting connections. In 2022, Pitchford ran again, more locally, for Berrien County Commissioner. He focused on local issues that people care about like infrastructure, transportation, and jobs, and his victory made him the youngest county commissioner in Berrien County’s history.

Homegrown success stories

Continuing to focus on the potential of local elections, Pitchford launched Berrien Forward to give the community a voice in deciding local issues and choosing candidates. In its first year, Berrien Forward successfully elected 25 of their 26 endorsed candidates, winning critical local school board races. In 2024, their endorsed candidates won Board of Trustee seats in Benton Harbor and New Buffalo townships, as well as multiple County Commissioner races. In a full circle moment, Berrien Forward was also instrumental in holding Joey Andrews’ legislative seat, demonstrating just how much influence Pitchford and Berrien Forward have gained in a few years.

Rural Democracy Initiative, along with local and regional donors, boosted their growth and helped them expand to more places and tougher races throughout the county. Going into 2025, Berrien Forward is ready to expand to additional counties in Western Michigan, building on their powerful model of focusing on local issues and races.