For much of the past year, the story of U.S. foreign aid has been one of retreat. Programs shuttered, offices hollowed out, careers upended.
The dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the broader decimation of the global development sector under the Trump administration has been lamented as a historic brain drain — with LinkedIn posts testifying to a bleak job market for those suddenly, shockingly #opentowork.
But for a small and growing group of former development practitioners, the collapse of the system they once worked inside has marked the beginning of a different story — not of resignation, but resolve. In the last year, a noticeable number of people who built careers inside USAID’s orbit have decided to do something different: run for political office.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
