THE OPPORTUNITY

The American political system is not reflective of the American people.

It’s no secret that barriers have been created to exclude and marginalize certain communities from being the decision makers in government.

We especially see this at the state and local levels.

More than half of all Americans are millennials or younger, but only 6% of state legislators are 35 or younger. Among state legislators, only 33% are women, 10% are Black, 6% are Latino, and 4% are Asian/Pacific Islander. And only 0.2% of elected officials openly identify as LGBTQIA+.

When elected officials don’t reflect the people they represent, it undermines the power of people and our democracy.

Run for Something (RFS) is changing what leadership looks like in America by building one of the largest candidate pipelines in progressive politics and bringing those young people into public service.

Founded in 2017, RFS has recruited nearly 150,000 young people who want to run for office.

Through their innovative people-first program that treats candidates like people first and political actors second, RFS has helped elect more than 1,000 of them — mostly women and people of color, a quarter of whom identify as LGBTQIA+, and all millennials and Gen Z — to the kinds of state and local offices that make real meaningful change.

ABOUT RUN FOR SOMETHING

Run for Something recruits and supports young, diverse progressives to run for down-ballot races to build long-term sustainable power in all 50 states.

Since launching in 2017, RFS has recruited nearly 150,000 people who want to run for office, endorsed over 3,000 candidates, and won over 1,000 elections.

Once elected, RFS alumni have transformed state and local governments, making housing more affordable, abortion more accessible, and education more equitable. They are the present and future leaders of the Democratic Party and the country. No matter who wins the White House in November, RFS’s work is imperative to the future of democracy and the long-term power-building efforts.

At the same time, RFS has led the sector with an internal culture that prioritizes work-life integration, long-term sustainability of both mission and staff, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, all baked into the core DNA of the team and program.

Run for Something’s work is long-term, year-round, and strategic. The organization has ambitious plans for 2024 and beyond; you can read the strategic plan here.

https://runforsomething.medium.com/run-for-somethings-2024-strategic-plan-0e2d043d0dfb