TL;DR: Today, Run for Something is proud to endorse 51 candidates running for local and state office across the country. This class includes over 43% renters, 11 Gen Z candidates, and 30 first-time candidates, all stepping into leadership at a moment when national decisions are stalling and local power matters more than ever. These candidates aren’t waiting to see what happens next. They’re already building solutions. Meet and support the candidates → Runforsomething.net.

Last week the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a major decision, gutting the Voting Rights Act.

For a lot of people, that felt like the end of the road. More decisions made somewhere far away. Another reminder that the systems meant to protect people don’t always show up when it matters most.

But here’s what doesn’t get talked about enough:

When federal action fails us, local leadership decides what happens next.

Who gets care.
Who gets housing.
Who gets protected.
Who gets left behind.

And across the country, people are done waiting to find out.

They’re running.

Today, Run for Something is proud to endorse a new class of candidates who are already doing the work to meet this moment.

Not someday.
Right now.

This class includes organizers, public servants, educators, and advocates who have seen systems fail up close and decided to do something about it.

This Moment Isn’t Abstract. It’s Personal.

Take Allie Phillips.

She didn’t plan to run for office. She was forced into advocacy after being denied life-saving care under Tennessee’s abortion ban. She became the lead plaintiff in a case challenging that law, and last week, that case hit another roadblock.

For most people, that would be the end of the story.

For Allie, it’s another chapter.

She’s running to make sure no one else has to leave their home state just to survive.

Or Ismael Luna in Wisconsin.

At 14 years old, he was unhoused. Today, he works at a shelter helping others find stability. He’s spent years addressing housing insecurity and public health in his community.

Now, he’s running for State Assembly because he knows exactly what happens when leaders ignore people like him.

Or Bentley Hudgins in Georgia.

A human rights leader and voting rights expert, Bentley has already helped stop anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, expand voter access, and deliver real investments for their community.

Now they’re running to bring that same leadership to the state legislature, where decisions about rights and representation are made every day.

Or Heather Sievers in Iowa.

A nurse, a parent, and an advocate, Heather ran for this seat before and came within just 320 votes of flipping it. She first got involved after lawmakers undermined an education agency her family depended on.

Now she’s running again, because close isn’t enough when families are on the line.

These aren’t hypothetical leaders.

They’re already doing the work.

A Class Built for This Moment

The numbers tell the story:

• 51 candidates endorsed
• Across 23 states
• 43% renters
• 21.6% Gen Z candidates
• 30 first-time candidates

This is a class shaped by real life:

Rising rents.
Barriers to care.
Economic instability.
A political system that often feels out of reach.

And instead of waiting for it to change, they’re stepping in to change it themselves.

What We’re Building

If you read our last endorsement post, you saw this coming.

Each class is bolder than the last.
More representative.
More urgent.

Because the goal isn’t just to win one election.

It’s to build a bench of leaders who can reshape what leadership looks like in this country.

That shift doesn’t start at the top of the ticket.

It starts here.

With who runs.
Who wins.
And who communities see in positions of power.

This year, we set an ambitious goal to endorse at least 300 candidates. With our May endorsement class, we’ve already surpassed it — and we’re just getting started.

Why This Matters Right Now

There’s a growing gap between what people are experiencing in their daily lives and what national politics delivers.

Local offices are where those gaps are closed.

It’s where policy becomes reality.

And right now, that’s where some of the most important fights are happening:

• Housing affordability
• Reproductive freedom
• Voting access
• Economic opportunity
• Public safety and health

The candidates we’re endorsing today aren’t waiting for permission to lead on those issues.

They already are.

How You Can Help

In many elections, the margin between winning and losing is incredibly small.

A single conversation.
A single volunteer shift.
Even a $25 donation.

That’s the difference.

Campaigns like these don’t always have national attention or massive budgets. But they do have something powerful: people who believe leadership should reflect the communities it serves.

If you want to be part of building that future:

✅ Meet and support our candidates → Runforsomething.net
✅ Join our pipeline and run for office → Sign Up
✅ Spread the word → Share this post & tag someone who should run

The future isn’t being decided somewhere far away.

It’s being built right now.

And this class is already leading the way.

They Said the Courts Would Decide. This Class Is Showing Who Actually Will. was originally published in Run for Something on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

TL;DR: Today, Run for Something is proud to endorse 76 candidates running for local and state office across 25 states. This class includes 13 Gen Z candidates and 54 first-time candidates, representing a growing pipeline of leaders who reflect the country as it actually is. Meet and support the candidates → Runforsomething.net.

Why It Matters

Here at Run for Something, we are redefining what leadership looks like and recruiting the next generation of leaders so we can secure the change our communities are hungry for.

From school boards to judicial positions and state legislatures, our April endorsees are bringing their bold, authentic, and energetic leadership to the table, understanding the urgency of the moment and doing something about it.

These young candidates are breaking away from the outdated tradition of waiting their turn — making change in their communities and rebuilding the bench from the ground up.

“These candidates all share a bold new vision for their communities, inspired by their diverse lived experiences and hope for a better tomorrow. From teachers to cybersecurity experts, these young people are disrupting the status quo and paving a new path forward,” said Amanda Litman, Co-Founder and President of Run for Something. “We’re proud to endorse this new slate of leaders for office to make change on a local level where decisions are being made for our children, our schools, our housing, and so much more.”

• 76 Candidates
• 25 States
• 54 First-time candidates
• 29.3% Renters
• 17.1% Gen Z candidates

Who We’re Endorsing

From nurses to union members to organizers, our latest slate of endorsees are already showing up for their communities. Here are just a few of our stand-out candidates:

A Tech Expert Taking On Data Centers

Jackie McGuire (AZ) is a seasoned entrepreneur, executive, technology expert, and mom of three running for Marana Town Council in Arizona. A vocal advocate for her neighbors, Jackie is an AI data center and cybersecurity expert who has been a leading voice in the fight against the hyperscale data center project, pushing for transparency and the protection of Marana’s water and power grid.

A History-Making State Legislator Fighting for Working People

Lorena Austin (AZ) is a fifth-generation Arizonan whose family has been rooted in their district for over 100 years. A grandchild of farmworkers and a child of civil rights activists, Lorena is the first Chicane, non-binary person elected to a state legislature in the United States and in their first term secured $40 million for tuition assistance through the Arizona Promise Program.

A Gen Z Organizer Building Power

Jayden D’Onofrio (FL) is the founder of Florida Future Leaders, a Gen-Z led political organization that has registered thousands of voters and helped turn out tens of thousands more. Now, at just 21-years old, he’s running for a seat in the Florida State House to deliver real results for working families and a future all generations can believe in.

A Two-Time Paralympic Medalist Working for Secure, Accessible Elections

Sophia Gibb (CO) is a public servant who currently serves as the Elections Deputy for Chaffee County and is now running for County Clerk & Recorder. In her role within the Clerk & Recorder’s Office, she oversees all election functions, ensuring secure, accessible, and compliant elections. Sophia is also a two-time Paralympic medalist, multi-time World Champion, and former Team USA Paralympic Team Captain who has spent years advocating for equity at the national and international levels in sport.

A Tenant Organizer Fighting for Renters

Samantha Kattan is a daughter of immigrants, a working parent, and a proud democratic socialist. Having spent years as a tenant organizer, she has seen firsthand the unlivable conditions too many New Yorkers are forced to endure — but she has also seen how much power we have when we organize together. As the Assembly Member for District 37, Samantha will fight alongside her constituents for social housing, strong tenant protections, universal health care, free childcare, immigrant rights, and greener, healthier neighborhoods.

In many elections, a single volunteer shift or $25 donation can help flip a seat.

✅ Meet and support the candidates → Runforsomething.net
✅ Join our pipeline → Sign Up
✅ Spread the word → Share this post & tag a friend who should run

Rember: The future isn’t something we wait for — it’s something we run for.

76 Next-Generation Leaders Redefining What Leadership Looks Like was originally published in Run for Something on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

TL;DR: Today, Run for Something is proud to endorse 62 candidates running for local and state office across 28 states. This class includes 24% Gen Z candidates, nearly 39% renters, and 35 first-time candidates, representing a growing pipeline of leaders who reflect the country as it actually is. These candidates are running because the systems shaping their lives are on the line, and they’re ready to lead. Meet and support the candidates → Runforsomething.net.

Across the country, the decisions that shape our daily lives are being made in school board meetings, city council chambers, and state legislatures.

Those decisions determine whether housing is affordable.

Whether public schools are funded.

Whether communities are safe, inclusive, and economically secure.

And right now, more people than ever are realizing something simple but powerful:

If we want better decisions, we need new leaders.

Today, Run for Something is proud to endorse 62 candidates across 28 states who are raising their hands to lead in their communities and fight for the future they believe in.

They are teachers who want stronger schools.

Renters who want housing they can afford.

Organizers who want a government that works for everyone.

Some are running for the very first time. Others are building on years of community leadership.

Together, they represent the next generation of public servants who understand what their neighbors are facing because they’ve lived it themselves.

A Class That Reflects the Country We Actually Live In

This endorsement class reflects America as it is.

• 62 candidates
• 28 states
• 24% Gen Z candidates
• Nearly 39% renters
• 35 first-time candidates

These numbers tell a bigger story about who is coming forward to lead.

A generation shaped by rising rent, student debt, economic instability, and political gridlock is pushing forward to lead.

Not someday.
Now.

Many of these candidates are renters fighting for housing policy that works for working families. Others are educators who want to protect public schools and expand opportunities for the next generation.

And many are running because they’ve seen firsthand what happens when communities are ignored.

Leaders Shaped by Real Life

What makes this class special isn’t just the numbers. It’s the stories.

From Homelessness to Public Leadership

Michaela Burriss, running for Ohio State Representative, knows how powerful public policy can be.

Growing up, her family struggled with instability. Public education, food assistance programs, and the support of neighbors helped her rise out of poverty, earn advanced degrees, and build a career in public service.

Now she’s running to protect the very systems that helped make her life possible.

Fighting for Working Families

At just 29, Chris Thomas is running for the Pennsylvania State Senate after working construction, teaching middle school math and science, and serving as a volunteer firefighter.

Raised in a working-class family of veterans, coal miners, and educators, he understands the challenges facing families trying to get ahead.

His campaign centers on affordability, quality education, and dignity for workers.

An Immigrant Advocate Who Turned Adversity Into Leadership

Samuel Vilchez Santiago arrived in the United States as a young political asylee fleeing Venezuela’s authoritarian regime.

He began school in this country not speaking English.

Five years later, he graduated as his high school’s valedictorian and went on to earn degrees from Princeton and Oxford.

Now, he’s running for the Florida State House to expand opportunity for immigrant and working families like his own.

Students Fighting for Affordable Cities

Across the country, young people are stepping into leadership roles earlier than ever.

In Madison, Wisconsin, Bobby Gronert, a university sophomore, is running for city council to fight for housing affordability and tenant protections.

He wants to build public housing, protect renters from abusive landlords, and make the city more livable for students and working residents alike.

Another candidate in Madison, Ellen Zhang, is a student, artist, and activist working directly on affordable housing policy and voter access. She’s running to ensure marginalized and housing-insecure residents have a voice in city government.

Local Leaders With Global Roots

In South Dakota, Vince Danh is running for Sioux Falls City Council.

The son of Vietnamese refugees who opened the city’s first Vietnamese restaurant, Vince grew up watching his parents build opportunity through hard work and community.

Today, he’s a small business owner and organizer running on responsible growth, equal opportunity, and strong neighborhoods.

Building a Bench That Lasts

These candidates are running in races that rarely make national headlines.

But they matter.

Local officials decide how school districts are run, how housing is developed, and how communities respond to economic and social challenges.

They also become the bench of leaders who shape the future of state and national politics.

That’s why Run for Something focuses on recruiting and supporting candidates early in their leadership journeys, helping them run modern campaigns and connect with voters in their communities.

It’s about building power that lasts.

It’s already working. Across the country, Run for Something alumni are winning races once written off as impossible and building the governing bench that shapes future state and national leadership.

Why This Moment Matters

Across the country, people are watching national politics feel increasingly distant from everyday life.

But local leadership remains one of the most powerful ways communities can shape their future.

The candidates we’re endorsing today are stepping forward because they believe that public service should reflect the people it serves.

And they’re proving something important:

Our future leaders aren’t waiting for permission.

They are already running.

Campaigns like these rarely have massive war chests or national attention. What they have instead are communities and people who believe leadership should reflect the country as it actually is.

How You Can Help

In local races, the margin between winning and losing can be incredibly small.

A single volunteer shift.
A single conversation with a neighbor.
Even a $25 donation.

Any of those can help flip a seat.

If you want to be part of building the next generation of leaders:

✅ Meet and support our candidates → Runforsomething.net
✅ Take the next step → Sign up to run
✅ Spread the word → Share this post and tag a friend who should run

The future of this country won’t be decided in city halls, school boards, and state legislatures by leaders who reflect the communities they serve.

The future isn’t something we wait for.

It’s something we run for.

The Next Generation Is Running. And They’re Already Changing the Map. was originally published in Run for Something on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

TL;DR: Today, Run for Something is proud to endorse 70 candidates across 26 states. This class includes about 33% renters, and 17.1% Gen Z candidates, with large slates in Texas, New York, and Illinois. These leaders are running for the offices that protect rights, shape budgets, and help shape what life feels like in our communities. This is a power move.

In the last two weeks, we’ve watched state legislatures fast-track bills that chip away at voting access. We’ve seen extremist school board members push book bans back into the headlines. We’ve seen Congress stall while local communities carry the weight.

If you’re feeling like the stakes are rising and the ground is shifting beneath us, you’re not wrong.

That’s exactly why these endorsements matter.

Today, we’re proud to endorse a new class of candidates who aren’t waiting for permission. They are teachers, organizers, public defenders, small business owners, veterans, and scientists, running for office. They reflect the country as it actually is — rooted in their communities and ready to lead.

This isn’t symbolic. It’s strategic.

The people closest to the problems are finally running to write the policy.

And as outlined in our Battle Up strategy, we are investing early in local leaders across key southern states such as Texas, Tennessee and Florida because the map is changing, and we intend to shape it, not react to it.

Congressional maps will be redrawn after the next Census. Electoral College votes are shifting south and west.

If we ignore local races now, we surrender leverage later.

Building the bench today is how we control the map tomorrow.

We’re choosing the long game.

• 70 Candidates
• 26 States
• 24 Alumni
• 32.9% Renters
• 17.1% Gen Z candidates
• 36 First-time candidates

Who We’re Endorsing — And Why It Matters

This class is tactical.

These are candidates already organizing, already governing, and already fighting back in real time.

The 19-Year-Old Taking On School Boards

Tre’Davon Rhodes (AZ) is 19 years old and running for Tucson Unified School District Governing Board. Born and raised in Tucson and the son of a single mom and an incarcerated father, Tre turned adversity into leadership. Now a first-generation college student studying political science and economics, he’s running to ensure students like him don’t fall through the cracks.

When book bans dominate headlines, this is what the counter looks like.

The Renters’ Rights Champions

As housing costs skyrocket nationwide, several of our endorsees are running because rent isn’t theoretical to them.

Aparna Raj (DC) is a tenant organizer and daughter of immigrants who has taken on slumlords and won. She’s running for DC Council to expand rent control, fund free child care, and protect immigrant families.

David Morales (RI) is running for Mayor of Providence in one of the least affordable cities in America for renters. He’s campaigning on affordability and publicly committing to standing up to ICE in his community.

When families are squeezed by rent hikes and local governments shrug, these candidates are choosing to fight.

Candidates Confronting ICE and Federal Overreach on Immigration

Across the country, local officials are being forced to respond to federal immigration crackdowns and rapid-response crises.

Dr. Maria Sinkule (IL), a licensed clinical social worker and longtime advocate for immigrant families, is running for DuPage County Board to expand access to mental health services and protect vulnerable communities. She is a rapid responder and community organizer who has led local efforts to protect immigrant families.

Kiernan Majerus-Collins (ME), an immigration and civil rights attorney, is running for State House to strengthen immigrant protections and lower the cost of living in Lewiston.

Local office is where federal harm either lands unchecked — or meets resistance.

Red-to-Blue, Battle Up States

We’re also investing where it counts electorally.

Matt Robinson (IA), a union carpenter, is working to flip a seat in the Iowa State House. Raised in poverty and rooted in the labor movement, he’s campaigning for higher wages, collective bargaining rights, and fully funded schools.

Alex Hawkins (MI), an Army veteran and National Guard EOD officer, is running in a top state legislative flip opportunity. He built his life around service, and he’s bringing that discipline and urgency to public office.

These are winnable races. They are part of a strategy to expand the map.

The Rising Bench

Some of these candidates are RFS alumni building upward momentum.

Junior Ezeonu (TX) was elected to city council at 22, becoming the youngest council member in his city’s history. Now he’s running for the Texas State House to help move the state in a more progressive direction.

Nabeela Syed (IL) has already passed legislation lowering health care costs as a state representative. She’s now running for State Senate to continue delivering for working families.

This is what long-term bench building looks like. Not a viral moment. A pipeline.

These 70 candidates reflect a country that is younger, more diverse, more renter-heavy, more working-class, and more impatient with politics as usual.

The next decade won’t be decided by accident.

It will be decided by those who have the courage to raise their hand.

How You Can Help

In low-turnout elections, a volunteer shift or $25 donation can flip a seat.

✅ Meet and support the candidates → Runforsomething.net
✅ Join our pipeline → Sign Up
✅ Spread the word → Share this post & tag a friend who should run

The future isn’t something we wait for — it’s something we run for.

This Is the Bench That Will Decide the Next Decade was originally published in Run for Something on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Over the last nine years, Run for Something has changed what leadership looks like and means in America.

We’ve built the largest candidate pipeline in politics. We’ve elected more than 1,600 millennial and Gen Z leaders to local offices in 49 states. Our bench is rising as dozens of our alumni are now running for higher office at a moment when Democratic voters are desperate and hungry for generational change.

Our belief that authentic, values-driven community-rooted candidates can run and win anywhere has been proven out over and over again.

Our approach of scaled recruitment in all 50 states — while prioritizing targets and going deep as needed — makes us perfectly prepared for a cycle in which we can and should be able to win in long-shot places.

We are ready for 2026. And just as importantly: We are ready for what comes beyond 2026.

Run for Something’s efforts to run and win locally in the short term will help generate the energy and momentum needed to support flipping the House, Senate, and governorships through “reverse coattails.”

Our candidates will run and win, securing state legislative seats, municipal offices, and seats on school and library boards across the country. They will fight like hell against Trump — and at the same time, they’ll proactively advance good policies, showing people what it could look like when our side is in charge.

In a year when all eyes will be on the federal offices, Run for Something’s work has never been more important. Our local leaders are both our defense and our offense.

This plan lays out exactly what we’re doing to get as many people as possible to run and to help them win big in order to build sustainable power — plus, what you can do to help.

Why it all matters now

To put it bluntly: Everything sucks right now.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. By the end of 2026, we could be looking at a Congress capable of performing oversight over Trump and, just as importantly, a new class of leaders at the state and local level who will both aggressively fight back and pave a new path forward.

As the expression goes, we can have nice things. We can have leaders we’re excited about and wins in deep red places and governance that actually delivers. We can have it all if we choose to put in the work now.

There is hope. The Run for Something team saw it in real-time over the last year and the years before: While the leaders of today may be failing us on many fronts, the leaders of tomorrow are ready.

What we accomplished in 2025

Before we look to 2026, let’s look back at 2025 — Run for Something’s biggest and best year yet.

• Nearly 80,000 people signed up to run for office in the last 12 months. That’s more in the last year than in the entirety of Trump’s first term

• The biggest moments for candidate recruitment were right after Trump won last November, when the first big DOGE firings kicked in and thousands of federal workers looked into running for office, when Schumer folded on the first CR fight in the spring, and when Zohran Mamdani won the primary in June.
• Our candidate pipeline now includes over 250,000 people — it’s the largest list of potential leaders in politics. In just the last 3 months, these leaders have explored over 23,000 offices at runforwhat.net.
• 165 millennial and Gen Z leaders won races for local offices across the country, including 43 red-to-blue flips, including in states as varied as VA, TX, OH, MI, IA, PA, CO, WA, NY, and NH. Over 65% of our November candidates won their elections, our highest November win rate ever.
• We held our biggest candidate intro call ever, with more than 1,300 people logging on to learn more about running for office.
• In July, we launched Run for Something Community, our new online hub for the candidate pipeline, with thousands of people joining to talk to other potential candidates and mentors, and enroll in our two asynchronous and totally free trainings. This is allowing us to meet the scale and demand of the moment.
• We kicked off partnerships with Senator Bernie Sanders, MoveOn, and Vote Save America and continued our relationships with hundreds of other organizations to recruit thousands of future candidates.
• Through Run for Something Civics, we launched Renters Represent, a non-partisan effort to get more renters to run for office and tackle the housing crisis from a critical underrepresented perspective.
• In the fall, we rolled out our Battle Up plan — a 5 year $50 million vision to expand the battleground map ahead of 2032.
• We led the conversation on the need for a new generation of leaders. In February, we called for every Democrat over the age of 70 to retire and make this their last term — and in the 10 months since, many have heeded our call.
• Our bench is rising: There are at least six RFS alumni running for U.S. Senate, six running for governor, and a few dozen running for U.S. House and other statewide offices. Many are going to win. Hell yeah.

Just as importantly, we ended 2025 financially stable. Thanks to an incredible community of generous supporters (which you can join right here), Run for Something was able to sustain our operations throughout the year and is heading into 2026 with momentum.

What we’re doing in 2026

Last year was about stabilizing our internal infrastructure while the program and pipeline expanded exponentially. This year is about pushing it into high gear at a time when we could win big if we field the right candidates for each community.

Our program is broken into two core functions, and our Battle Up plan to expand the map lays overtop both areas.

Let’s break it down…

Recruitment and cultivation

The core of our work is recruiting candidates. Our pipeline continues to be the largest list of potential leaders — there is no one else doing the work at both our scale and depth.

After a successful 2025, our goal is to add an additional 50,000 people to the pipeline across all of our entities.

To do that, we’ll be running ads, hosting virtual events and celebrations like National Run for Office Day, and constantly refining our recruitment programs to ensure we’re bringing the best possible potential leaders into the program.

In particular, we’re looking to recruit three specific cohorts, each of whom fit into the larger efforts to take back power nationwide:

• Candidates in rural areas, especially through our partnership with Dirt Road Campaign. Rural candidates can help us expand the map and run up the margins through reverse coattails.
• Women, whose recruitment numbers have dropped through 2025 in part due to reduced investment in this work. At a time when women are so clearly leading in their communities and in the fight back against Trump, while also facing more serious threats when they enter public life, we’ve identified that women require more support, mentorship, and engagement in order to run.
• Gen Z, including through our renters program and other targeted efforts. We’re looking for candidates with lived experience that reflects how young voters are currently experiencing the affordability crisis. Young voters are rapidly turning against Trump and the MAGA agenda; our candidates can give them a positive forward-looking alternative.

Our partnerships will be a key part of this work, which is why we’re deeply embedded in state and local ecosystems. If there’s a state recruitment table working to find candidates, we’re on it — and often we’re the top source of leads for the table. If there’s an organization that has members who should run for office, we’ll be there asking them to get on the ballot.

To keep cultivating that pipeline, we’ll work through 2026 to keep expanding participation in RFS Community, adding more programming and ways for volunteers to engage with the pipeline in that space, along with expedited pathways to deeper support for those further in their candidate journey.

We have noted that leaders spend on average 311 days in our pipeline from signing up to filing for our endorsement — folks who sign up with us early prior to our endorsement are twice as likely to win their elections, and the longer someone spends in our pipeline, the more likely they are to win.

Through deeper early pipeline programming, we aim to speed up that conversion rate and increase our win rate.

Supporting campaigns

Through Run for Something PAC, we’ll endorse at least 300 candidates in 2026. (Our ability to endorse is limited entirely by staff capacity.)

As always, our endorsement process will stay rigorous, with a tight focus on values and a flexible approach to policy, acknowledging that candidates in different parts of the country running for different levels of office need to meet their communities where they are. Our priority above all else is finding leaders with deep community ties who can communicate authentically and directly with voters.

However, one big change we’re making to endorsements in 2026: We’ll now be endorsing candidates running as independents.

This is a strategic pivot for us because of two big factors:

1. There are communities where someone running as a Democrat simply cannot win with the partisan label attached to them.
2. More and more young people are identifying as independents — 56% of Gen Z and 54% of millennials now reject partisan labels.

Our endorsements will continue to come with deep 1:1 support, mentorship, and access to our broad network of partners and tools. This year, we’re prioritizing trainings and tools that enable candidates to run modern campaigns that meet the moment.

We are building a suite of new digital tools to help run modern campaigns:

• Campsight is a politics-specific Generative Engine Optimization tool to help candidates track the way consumer LLMs (like ChatGPT) are talking about them and their opponents. In 2026, millions of voters will ask ChatGPT and other LLMs who to vote for, particularly at the bottom of the ticket. Campsight is the “batteries-included” toolkit candidates need to ensure they’re the answer for the voters they are trying to reach.
• Votewallet Tickets are mobile wallet passes for candidates. Like how a boarding pass appears on your phone on the day of a flight, Votewallet Tickets are time-bound to appear on election day with a candidate’s details. Tickets can be shared by anyone who already has one, making them an ideal tool to scale relational organizing tactics. Votewallet Tickets are connected to a lightweight CRM to help candidates collect phone numbers, build their list, and track how supporters are sharing tickets on their own.

Our endorsed candidates stick with us as alumni, and we’re here to cheer for them and lift them up in service of inspiring other people to run, too — and to remind us all that good governance is actually possible. In 2026, we’ll be even more rigorous about keeping track of our alums’ growing careers. Our hope is to bring people together in early 2027 to further cement community ties (and celebrate 10 years of RFS!)

How Battle Up figures into all of this

The national battleground map as we knew it in 2024 is going to be completely upended in the next eight years. By 2030, population growth in Texas, Florida, and the South will lead to a redistricting process during which Democrats are projected to lose Electoral College votes in traditional blue states; we could see a third of current winning combinations disappear by the 2032 presidential election.

Democrats continually invest billions of dollars in the same places over and over again, driven by short-term incentives. Meanwhile, 70% of local and state legislative races go uncontested, leaving millions of potential voters without a reason to show up at all. When district lines shift, only communities with strong local leadership and rooted trust will be positioned to compete.

Our model identifies and trains local leaders who will, by the time the post-census new map reality is written, already have receipts in their communities: school board members, city councilors, county commissioners, state legislators who can run and win because they’ve already solved problems voters care about. When district lines move, these trusted messengers remain the constant.

RFS builds those trusted benches early, ensuring that when district lines change, our alumni are already the local favorites, ready to hold or flip seats from the bottom up.

With nearly 250,000 people in the RFS candidate pipeline, 1,500+ wins in 49 states, and pipeline alumni twice as likely to be elected as peers, RFS has the proven scale to do this work. Our data also shows every RFS candidate adds about 800 up-ballot votes, making our ability to both build a bench while simultaneously providing reverse coattails as one of the most cost-effective turnout multipliers in American politics at roughly $3 per vote.

The map will shift — and pro-democracy power-building must shift with it. Long before new district lines are drawn, the balance of electoral power is already changing. According to the Brennan Center, census projections and reapportionment forecasts show that Southern and Sun Belt states will gain seats, while many historically blue or industrial states are poised to lose them.

• Texas is forecasted to gain four congressional seats, and Florida three.
• Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Idaho, and Utah are also projected to gain seats.
• Meanwhile, states like California, New York, Illinois, and Minnesota are likely to lose multiple districts.
• These shifts don’t just change congressional maps — they change Electoral College math, because each congressional seat influences electoral votes.

As one analysis recently warned, if current trends persist, the path to 270 electoral votes will require picking up new Sun Belt battlegrounds — even if Democrats retain traditional states. In fact, a coalition of states Biden won in 2024 plus the “Blue Wall” (Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin) may only sum to 256 electoral votes under 2032’s projected map — meaning Democrats will have to win Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, or other southern swing states to close the gap.

This is not a distant risk — it’s a looming challenge. To remain viable, Democrats must soften the ground now in growth states and growth counties, building credibility and trust before maps shift beneath them.

Redistricting creates both risks and opportunities — but only for communities that have already built trusted local benches. When lines are redrawn, the counties within new districts often determine who holds or flips a seat. Having credible, values-aligned leaders already serving locally means we’re not starting from scratch when new opportunities appear. At the same time, winning in the Sun Belt, South, or Rural West requires long-term investment — building community trust, developing emerging leaders, and aligning local momentum with pro-democracy gains during presidential cycles. The path to holding and expanding power after 2030 begins now, by strengthening local leadership in the counties where the next map will be won or lost.

That means the strategy must start today in counties and precincts that are strategically central, long before new district maps are drawn. By building bench strength, local organizing infrastructure, and trust in these counties now, RFS ensures that when redistricting happens, we already have electable leaders in place to contest or defend critical seats, and we will have softened the ground for statewide strategies to take stronger shape.

Our 5 year plan to Battle Up and expand the map is overlaid on all of our work. We’re working through the year to identify local recruitment partners, identify target districts, and in areas with high priority nested 2026 races (meaning: states where our local candidates can spur reverse coattails for the top of the ticket) doubling down on candidate support.

1. Lift the Bench: States and counties positioned for near-term federal pickups (2026–28) and long-term investment — Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia

2. Grow the Bench: Places with emerging counties reshaped by population and demographic shifts — Utah, Iowa, Nebraska

3. Battle Up Long Term: Historically neglected regions where rebuilding starts locally and compounds nationally — Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Idaho

Our theory of change: fill the ballot, build trust locally, and the national map will follow. And we have our own receipts to prove it -– from 36 elected alumni in Arizona to sustained investment in Georgia that turned local school board and county wins into state legislative victories (and now, Congressional candidates). RFS is the only national organization built to turn local recruitment into national results.

We combine county-level precision, community-based authenticity, and data-driven scalability to build a generation of trusted leaders who can help rewrite the story of electoral maps, and move people from partisan encampments to trust (through proof points) in policy and policy makers.

What it all costs

Run for Something’s 2026 budget across all entities is $8.2 million — far less than a single competitive House race or even a state legislative chamber.

What you can do

Four ways you can help right now:

1. Run for office or ask someone to run for office. Look up where you can run at runforwhat.net — it’s (probably) not too late to get on the ballot in 2026, and never too early to start planning for 2027.
2. Make a donation. You can give to Run for Something PAC here or Run for Something Civics here. If you want to make a larger donation offline, need info on how to mail checks, want to give stock or from a DAF, or have other questions about giving, just send us a note at donate@runforsomething.net
3. Introduce us to someone we can work with! Whether that’s as a possible programmatic partner, a new supporter, or a possible candidate, we love to meet new people and collaborate with others. Just email us at hello@runforsomething.net.
4. Spread the word about our work. You can find us on social media on: Instagram, BlueSky, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, and TikTok.

Thanks for being part of the Run for Something community. In dark times, this work gives us hope — you make it possible. ❤

(FOR PAST STRATEGIC PLANS, CHECK THESE OUT: YEAR ONE, YEAR TWO, YEAR THREE, YEAR FOUR, YEAR FIVE, YEAR SIX, YEAR SEVEN, YEAR EIGHT & YEAR NINE)

**Note: The programs described in this plan cut across three entities — Run for Something Civics (501c3), Run for Something Action Fund (501c4), and Run for Something (a non-federal 527.) All activities under Civics are nonpartisan and educational in nature.**

Run for Something’s 2026 Strategic Plan was originally published in Run for Something on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Why It Matters:

State and local leaders are on the front lines of improving our communities and fighting back against attacks on our rights and freedoms. They create the policies that most affect our day-to-day lives — from the curriculum children are taught and the books we have in our libraries to access to health care and the ballot box. Now more than ever, we need bold leaders who understand firsthand the struggles their communities face and are ready to do something about it.

“Sitting on the sidelines isn’t an option anymore,” said Amanda Litman, co-founder and President of Run for Something. “These candidates are choosing to run because the moment is urgent. They’re bringing their lived experience and real solutions to the offices that shape people’s everyday lives, and supporting them is how we build durable power where it matters most.”

By the Numbers — December 2025 Class:

• 56 candidates
• 10 alums (3 incumbent alums)
• 12 Gen Z candidates
• 64.3% people of color, 46.4% women, 28.6% LGBTQIA+
• 35.7% renters
• 10.7% school board candidates
• 64.3% candidates for state legislatures
• 21.4% municipal candidates
• 3.6% legal candidates

Historic Firsts

Our candidates are breaking down barriers across the country. Here’s how:

• Josh Arnon (candidate for New York State Assembly, District 74) would be the first openly autistic person elected to this seat and the second openly autistic person ever elected in NYC.
• Michelle Netsai Butler (candidate for Denton County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 6) would be the first Black Justice of the Peace in Denton County and the first Zimbabwean-American elected in Texas.
• Zoey Carter (candidate for Illinois State House, District 93) would be the first openly transgender person elected to the Illinois State Legislature.
• Jess Rivera (candidate for North Carolina State Senate, District 4) would be the first Latina to serve in the North Carolina State Senate, and both the first openly gay woman and first female combat veteran to represent this district if elected.
• Jayden Speed (candidate for Nebraska State Legislature, District 2) is the youngest candidate for the State Legislature in Nebraska history at 20 years old.
• Tyler Smith (candidate for Texas State House, District 138), 26 years old, would be the youngest member of the Texas State Legislature if elected.

The Moment We’re In

In 2025, Run for Something candidates were on the ballot from Washington to Texas to New Hampshire and everywhere in between. Simply put, there’s no such thing as an off year in local politics, and this year was no exception.

All told, we endorsed over 300 candidates — and 65% of those who were on the ballot in November won. On Election Day, we flipped 43 seats from red to blue, electing young community-centered leaders across the country and driving critical momentum up and down the ticket.

Our December class is picking up where we left off: Building power for a crucial election year and underscoring a core truth of Run for Something’s mission: When everyday people run — and get the support they deserve — they can win and deliver for our communities.

How You Can Support

📅 Election days are happening nearly every week. That means a single volunteer shift or $25 donation can help flip a seat.

✅ Meet and support our candidates

✅ Join the pipeline: Sign up to run!

✅ Apply for our endorsement

✅ Donate to help power a new generation of leaders

✅ Share this with a friend who should run!

The bottom line: The future isn’t something we wait for — it’s something we run for.

Black Friday tends to feel like noise. Endless sales, endless scrolling, endless emails.

But today at Run for Something, we’re using the day for something bigger: investing in the next generation of leaders who will reshape politics in 2026 and beyond.

Because when young people boldly use their power, everything shifts.
And today, you can help create that shift.

Every purchase you make in our store today is MATCHED dollar-for-dollar.

A generous supporter is doubling every order, which means your mug, your tee, your tote bag, your “Future Candidate” onesie… all of it goes twice as far in training and supporting the next wave of bold, young local candidates.

And yes, we’ve got new merch.
The kind that makes a statement just by being worn.

And because we want to make it as easy as possible to fuel this work,
we’re offering free shipping all weekend.

Why this matters right now

2026 will be one of the most consequential local election cycles in a generation.

Across the country, thousands of young people are signing up with Run for Something because they’re ready to lead, ready to fight, and ready to deliver for their communities.

But inspiration isn’t enough.
They also need:

• coaching,
• training,
• infrastructure,
• encouragement,
• and a community that believes in them.

That’s where you come in and where the match makes the biggest difference.

Your order today directly supports the work that helps young candidates run, win, and govern.

Your merch purchase is activism.

It signals who you believe in.
It sparks conversations.
It invests in a future where leadership looks like the country it serves — younger, more diverse, closer to the problems, and more committed to actually fixing them.

Shop. Support. Double your impact.

Free shipping.
New merch.
2X match.

Your purchase today fuels the next generation of leaders.

Shop the match: bit.ly/ShopRFS

TL;DR: Run for Something’s new five-year plan, Battle Up, is a $50 million strategy to recruit and train thousands of local candidates in states Democrats have too often ignored. From Utah to Mississippi, we’re expanding the map ahead of the 2030 redistricting fight and the 2032 presidential election — because the future of democracy can’t wait.

Too many Democrats are trying to win the next election with the same old playbook…We’re doing the work to win the next ten. — Amanda Litman , Co-founder and president of Run for Something

Look around, it’s clear: Democracy is still under siege.
Last week, Republicans in multiple states advanced new gerrymandered maps, the Supreme Court hinted at gutting what remains of the Voting Rights Act, and pundits asked — again — why Democrats keep losing ground between presidential elections.

The answer isn’t a mystery. For decades, Dems have tried to win the same races with the same top-of-the-ticket strategy while neglecting the local bench that makes long-term power possible.

That’s the cycle Run for Something is breaking.

The Plan

Battle Up is Run for Something’s five-year plan to expand the Democratic map, build durable local power, and prepare multiple paths to victory through 2032.

It’s a simple idea with huge impact: invest locally now so we’re ready when the next political map drops.

We’ll do it 3 ways:

1 Lift the Bench

In Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio, we’re doubling down — recruiting and supporting young, values-driven candidates who excite voters down-ballot and drive turnout up-ballot. “Reverse-coattails,” powered by local credibility.

2 Grow the Bench

In Iowa, Nebraska, and Utah, demographic shifts are reshaping what’s possible. These are the new frontiers for Democrats — places long written off that are ripe for local investment and leadership development.

3 The Long Run

In Texas, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, and Louisiana, we’re planting the seeds for the next wave of battlegrounds. Building community trust and candidate pipelines now means we’ll have tested leaders ready when district lines change after 2030.

This Matters

Stay ready, so you won’t have to get ready! When redistricting hits, you can’t recruit overnight. Communities with credible local leaders already in office decide who flips seats — and who doesn’t.

RFS already has nearly 250,000 people in our candidate pipeline and 1,500+ wins across 49 states. Our alumni are twice as likely to win as their peers, and each adds roughly 800 up-ballot votes — a proven, cost-effective turnout multiplier.

That’s how we’ll expand the map, not just defend it.

Bigger Picture

Population growth in the South and Rural West means the political map will look radically different by 2032. If Democrats want to compete, we need trusted local leaders in place before new lines are drawn.

The Battle Up plan ensures we’re not reacting — we’re ready.

We’ll:

• Build candidate pipelines in 12 priority states.
• Train thousands of first-time local candidates.
• Equip organizers with digital, data, and storytelling tools that win hearts and votes.
• Strengthen the infrastructure progressives will need for the 2030s.

Our communities can’t afford another lost decade. Battle Up is how we fight smarter, dig deeper, and win longer!

What Comes Next

This is about doubling down where it counts most.

With your help, we’ll:
✅ Recruit and train young leaders ready to serve.
✅ Invest in communities Democrats have ignored.
✅ Expand the map, one city council, one school board, one county at a time.

Because power doesn’t just change hands — it’s built.

Join Us

Add your name to the pipeline→ runforwhat.net
Pitch in or share → help us build the bench before the next map is even drawn.

Battle Up: Redrawing the Future of Democratic Power was originally published in Run for Something on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

TL;DR: Run for Something just endorsed 81 candidates across 23 states — leaders who are renters, organizers, educators, and history-makers. In a political climate dominated by chaos in DC and rollbacks on rights, these candidates are building power where it matters most: locally.

Why This Moment Matters

Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen the same old story play out in Washington: gridlock, rollbacks on abortion rights, and attacks on free speech. It’s exhausting — but here’s the shift: while national politics stalls, a new generation of leaders is already stepping up locally.

Every one of these candidates was handpicked because they embody exactly what Run for Something is about: refusing to wait around for someone else to fix things. Our communities need grounded, local leaders who are ready to fight like hell for a better future — and we’re proud to endorse this slate of candidates who will do exactly that.”
— Amanda Litman, president and co-founder of Run for Something

Local elections are the first line of defense — and offense — in protecting our rights, funding our schools, keeping housing affordable, and making democracy real. That’s why RFS’ September 2025 endorsement class matters so much.

By the Numbers — September 2025 Class

• 81 candidates endorsed (312 total this cycle so far)
• 18 Alums (10 Incumbent Alums)
• 23 states represented — from Massachusetts to Montana, and Texas to Washington
• 55.6% women, 54.3% people of color, 37% LGBTQIA+, 14.8% Gen Z, 35.8% renters
• Office breakdown: 67.9% municipal/county, 16% school board, 14.8% state legislature

When renters, educators, and community organizers win office, policy gets personal.

Historic Firsts

This month’s class includes candidates poised to make history:

• Sam Foster (GA): At just 24, would be the first Black, first Gen Z, and youngest mayor of Marietta.
• Brittany McKinley (CA): Running to become the first Black woman California State Senator from District 24.
• Vivian Nguyen (MA): On track to be the first Asian American woman on Everett City Council.
• Joanna Whaley (MI): Could be the first transgender woman elected to the Michigan State House.
• Mario Benavente (NC): Would be Fayetteville’s first Latino mayor and the first Korean American elected to any NC city council.
• Grace Rogers (IA) : Running to be the first openly autistic and queer person on Cedar Falls School Board.

Leaders With Lived Experience

These candidates aren’t programmed insiders. They’ve lived the struggles they’re fighting to fix:

• Miranda Schubert (AZ): Housing and transit advocate running for Tucson City Council.
• Amanda Treppa (MI): From foster care and homelessness to maternal health champion, now running for State Senate.
• Jesse Vogel (OH): Attorney who fought for tenants during the pandemic, now running for Columbus City Council.
• Alejandra Salinas (TX): Attorney who battled gerrymandering at the Supreme Court, now running for Houston City Council.
• Makayla Venable (VA): Health care worker fighting for rural access and fully funded public education.

Why It’s Relevant Now

With Trump and MAGA allies doubling down on attacks on free speech, abortion rights, and local control, September’s endorsement class shows what resistance looks like: diverse, values-driven leaders ready to fight where federal leadership fails.

These candidates are shaping the frontline battles on:

• Housing affordability (from Boston to Binghamton)
• School funding & equity (from Atlanta to Puyallup)
• Public safety & infrastructure (from Marietta to Mesquite)
• Climate resilience (from Cambridge to Bozeman)

How You Can Help

Elections are happening every week. A single volunteer shift or $25 donation can flip a seat.

✅ Meet and support the candidates → Runforsomething.net
✅ Join the pipeline → Apply for endorsement
✅ Spread the word → Share this post & tag a friend who should run

The future isn’t something we wait for — it’s something we run for.

81 Leaders Transforming The Democratic Party was originally published in Run for Something on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

From Gen Z mayors to bad-landlord busters, this month’s class is proof the next generation is already leading.

TL;DR: Run for Something just endorsed 54 candidates in 21 states for local races that will shape housing, education, and democracy for years to come. They’re younger, more diverse, and more connected to their communities than the political establishment — and they’re ready to win now.

Historic firsts, bold platforms, and leaders who reflect the communities they serve — that’s the August 2025 class.

The Moment We’re In

If you’ve been doomscrolling the national headlines, you might think the future is decided in Washington. It’s not. The real action — the wins that change daily life — is happening in city halls, school boards, and state legislatures.

In 2025, nearly 100,000 local elections are on the ballot. Every one is a chance to protect our rights, pass policies that actually make life better, and prove that progress is possible. This month, Run for Something is endorsing 54 leaders who are doing exactly that — and they’re not waiting their turn.

By the Numbers

Fifty-four candidates. Twenty-one states. One goal: win local races that change lives.

• 54 candidates
• 55.6% people of color, 29.6% LGBTQIA+, 24% Gen Z, 31.5% renters
• 21 states represented — from Georgia to Colorado, New Hampshire to Texas
• 24% running for school board, 65% for municipal/county seats, 7% for state legislature

Leaders With Lived Experience

These candidates aren’t polished insiders. They’ve lived the issues they’re running to fix.

• Zoelle Lane (CO): An immigrant and renter fighting to keep Fort Collins affordable, inclusive, and livable
• Jake Ephros (NJ): Tenants’ rights activist who won “Right to Counsel” in Jersey City, now pushing for universal rent control
• Elijah King (NC): Grew up moving 11 times before 18, now fighting for housing stability for all
• Taylor Rehmet (TX): Air Force veteran and union president running in a special election to flip a long-held GOP state senate seat

These aren’t career politicians. They’ve lived the struggles they’re fighting to fix.

History in the Making

This class isn’t just about winning races — it’s about breaking barriers. Here’s how the candidates would make history:

• Ayah Al-Zubi: First Arab woman and youngest elected to Cambridge, MA City Council member
• Erica Pope: First Black woman and youngest elected to Dacula City Council
• Mussab Ali: First Muslim, Asian-American, immigrant, and under-30 mayor of Jersey City, NJ
• Akbar Ali: Youngest person ever elected to the Georgia State House at just 21
• Victor Sims: First former foster youth on the Polk County, FL School Board
• Rodney Nickens, Jr.: First Black person to hold his Virginia House seat

Why It Matters

When you elect leaders who’ve lived your reality, the priorities shift. Housing policy comes from renters. School funding gets fought for by people who actually went to those schools. Climate action is led by those who’ve seen their neighborhoods flooded.

When renters, educators, and community organizers win office, policy gets personal.

Local wins stack up. They protect communities now and build the bench for statewide and national power later. That’s why these endorsements matter — they’re part of a long game, and every victory moves us forward.

How You Can Back Them

📅 Election days are happening every week. A single volunteer shift or $25 donation can flip a seat.

✅ Meet and support these candidates
✅ Join the pipeline: Sign up to run!
✅ Apply for our endorsement
✅ Share this with a friend who should run!

The bottom line: The future isn’t something we wait for — it’s something we run for.

54 Leaders Who Aren’t Waiting Their Turn — Meet RFS’ August Endorsements was originally published in Run for Something on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.