You might be shocked at how accessible local politicians can be. It astonishingly easy to get into local politics.
Show up, introduce yourself, shake hands, rinse and repeat. You’ll soon get to know who’s who and how the tides are moving. You’ll see who has influence, and why, learn from there.
LOL, you got me thinking about jumping back in. Locally, some people got together to fight an initiative we didn’t like. Nobody powerful or monied, but they won.