FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 19, 2025
Contact: press@runforsomething.net
Run For Something Endorses 54 Candidates, Building the Bench of Local Progressive Leaders
NEW YORK, NY — Today, Run for Something (RFS) announced its latest slate of endorsed candidates–a bold, diverse group of 54 young leaders running for state and local office across 21 states. From redistricting battles in states like Texas to federal overreach in cities like Los Angeles and Washington, DC, it’s clear that state and local leaders will be our first line of defense against the tyranny of the Trump administration. Run for Something is committed to building strong, community-rooted leadership by investing in young people who are ready to meet the challenges of this moment.
“The best thing we can do to push back against the attacks we are seeing on our democracy is to ensure we have a strong infrastructure that recruits and supports the new generation of leaders focused on their communities, not political games,” said Amanda Litman, president and founder of Run for Something. “These local races may not always grab national headlines, but they shape everything — from voting rights, education, housing and zoning laws, and even the roads we drive on. We’re proud to endorse this new class of leaders who will fight for their neighbors and the policies they need to thrive.”
Run for Something’s endorsed candidates are running for offices like city council, school board, state legislature, and county commission. Many of them are first-time candidates from historically underrepresented communities, bringing fresh perspectives and bold ideas to local government—where real change begins.
A number of these candidates are also on the ballot soon, with critical primaries happening in September in states like Connecticut, North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia (special general election), Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. RFS’s endorsement will provide these candidates a critical boost in the campaigns as well as strategic campaign support from RFS’s network of staff, partner organizations, volunteers, and alumni.
So far in 2025, RFS has endorsed over 219 candidates–60 of whom have won their races so far this cycle–fueling a rapidly growing bench of young and bold leaders. This new slate of endorsements continues that mission—ensuring we’re not just reacting to national crises but proactively building power where it starts.
Learn more about Run for Something’s 2025 endorsement class here or see the full slate of candidates below:
ALABAMA
Brandon Parnell, Birmingham Board of Education, District 9
COLORADO
Amanda Pedrianes, Thornton City Council, Ward 4
Charles Johnson, Colorado Springs School Board, District 11
Zoelle Lane, Fort Collins City Council, Ward 5
CONNECTICUT
Caroline Tanbee Smith, New Haven Board of Alders, Ward 9
FLORIDA
Victor Sims, Polk County School Board, District 3
GEORGIA
Akbar Ali, State House, District 106
Charles Bourgeois, Atlanta City Council, District 9
Dontaye Carter, Sandy Springs Mayor
Erica Pope, Dacula City Council
Nate Jester, Atlanta City Council, District 11
Rohit Malhotra, Atlanta City Council President
Royce Mann, Atlanta Board of Education, Seat 8
IOWA
Patrick Peters, Council Bluffs School Board
Skylar Mayberry-Mayes, PhD, Des Moines School Board, District 4
KANSAS
Andrew Davis, Wyandotte County Commissioner, District 8
Gary Bradley-Lopez, Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, Position 1
Molly Starr, Lawrence School Board
MARYLAND
Keanuú Smith-Brown, Annapolis City Council, Ward 3
MASSACHUSETTS
Andrew Smith, Salem City Council, Ward 2
Ayah Al-Zubi, Cambridge City Council
Lydia King, Salem City Council, Ward 5
MINNESOTA
Jazz Hampton, Minneapolis Mayor
MISSOURI
Justice Horn, Jackson County Legislature, District 1 At Large
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Bryce Kaw-uh, Manchester Board of Aldermen, Ward 1
Jason Bonilla, Manchester Board of Aldermen, Ward
Jessica Spillers, Manchester Mayor
Liz O’Neil-Wong, Manchester School Board, Ward 11
NEW JERSEY
Jake Ephros, Jersey City Council, Ward D
Meredith Burns, Jersey City Council
Mussab Ali, Jersey City Mayor
NEW YORK
Brittany Bonanno, Webster Town Justice
Hannah Shvets, Ithaca Common Council, Ward 5
NORTH CAROLINA
Andrea Cazales, Durham City Council, Ward 1
Elijah King, Durham City Council, Ward 1
Montravias King, Charlotte City Council, District 3
Shanetta Burris, Durham City Council, Ward 2
OHIO
Anna Albi, Cincinnati City Council
Athena Stefanou, Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge, District 5
Gray Potts, Copley-Fairlawn Board of Education
Meghan Weakley, Cuyahoga Falls Board of Education
Sean Beck, Ada Village Council
PENNSYLVANIA
Brandon Faust, Nazareth Area School District Director, Region 2
Luis Melecio, Southern Lehigh School Board
Sam Kulp, Manheim Township Commissioner
Samuel Bigham, Carnegie Mayor
SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina-Aditi Bussells, Columbia City Council
TEXAS
Taylor Rehmet, Texas State Senator, District 9
VIRGINIA
Dashad Cooper, Charlottesville City School Board
Rodney K. Nickens, Jr., House of Delegates, District 90
Shane Boswell, House of Delegates, District 31
Ty Hodges, WJCC School Board, Jamestown District
WASHINGTON
Caitlin Konya, SeaTac City Council, Position 2
Erica Tomas, Auburn City Council, Position 4
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Run for Something (RFS) recruits and supports young progressive candidates for down-ballot offices. Since its founding, RFS has helped elect nearly 1,500 candidates across the country, including 18 candidates in red-to-blue seats in the 2024 election cycle. Today, RFS has the largest database of any other Democratic organization, with over 65,000 people reaching out since November with interest in running for office.