Dungeons & Democrats.
A signature event that blends politics & play.
On August 25, 2024, our campaign brought a one-of-a-kind event to East Cobb: Dungeons & Democrats: The Campaign Campaign. Part dinner theater, part tabletop adventure, the evening reimagined how candidates can connect with voters by stepping into a game instead of onto a podium.
The concept began with my desire to merge a personal passion—tabletop roleplaying games—with grassroots campaigning. I invited fellow candidates Eric Castater (House District 45), Micheal Garza (House District 46), and Laura Judge (Cobb Board of Education Post 5) to join me at the table. Together, we swapped speeches for dice rolls, embarking on a collaborative story designed to showcase not only our values as candidates, but also our creativity, humor, and teamwork.
Hosted by Round Trip Brewing Company, the event welcomed a packed house of supporters and curious community members. Alex White, a nationally published science fiction author with credits in the Alien and Star Trek franchises, designed and ran the custom campaign. The three-hour program included live roleplay, a costume contest, and giveaways, creating a lively and accessible way for voters to engage with local candidates.
For those unable to attend in person, we broadcast the adventure live on Twitch, extending our reach to a wider audience while reinforcing our commitment to meeting people where they are.
As Mo Pippin of FTR Strategies put it for East Cobb News:
When JD approached me with this concept, I leapt at the chance to put it together because I think that it accomplishes three very important things.
Firstly, it lives up to our mission of finding creative and innovative ways to meet our community members wherever they are. Secondly we are creating an opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together over an interest that has persisted since the 80s as a beloved activity for generations of people. Thirdly and most importantly, this gives community members a space to see these candidates as who they truly are—fellow nerds, hobbyists, musicians, and storytellers.
The campaign trail often shows one dimension of what it takes to be a candidate for office; we want to break the traditional perception that people have built regarding who can be a candidate and what a candidate is supposed to be like. These are our neighbors running grassroots campaigns while maintaining full-time jobs and personal lives. We hope this event serves as an opportunity for people to engage with us in a lighthearted and interactive environment.
Dungeons & Democrats demonstrated that politics doesn’t have to be limited to debates and forums. By bringing imagination to the campaign trail, we created a space where voters could connect with candidates on a personal level—through laughter, storytelling, and shared experiences.
