TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Amanda Litman, President and Founder of Run for Something 
DATE: May 13, 2025
RE: The Bench is Rising! 

Across the country, a new generation of Democratic leaders is rising up and running for higher office–and many of them are Run for Something alumni. These candidates are young, bold, energetic, and understand the urgency of the political moment we are in. They have already proven they can lead and serve their communities, and now they’re ready to bring their leadership–and some good trouble–to the bigger stage. 

This is what building the bench looks like.

Just today we saw:

  • Robert Peters announced his campaign for Congress in IL-2. As a State Senator, Peters has been a champion for working people, public safety, and justice reform. Peters was an RFS-endorsed candidate in 2020 when he ran for the Illinois State Senate. 
  • Eli Savit launched his campaign for Michigan Attorney General. As Washtenaw County Prosecutor, he’s led progressive reforms while prioritizing safety and civil rights. Savit was an RFS-endorsed candidate in 2020 when he ran for Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney.

And in the last few months, we also heard from: 

  • Everton Blair Jr. announced his run for Congress in GA-13. Blair is a former school board chair in Gwinnett County, Georgia, where he championed equity in education and became a leading voice for public schools in the South. Blair was an RFS-endorsed candidate in 2018 when he ran for school board in Gwinnett County Board of Education.
  • Kevin Morrison announced on Monday that he is running for Congress in IL-8. Morrison has served on the Cook County Board in Illinois, where he’s worked to expand mental health care access and defend LGBTQIA+ rights. Morrison was an RFS-endorsed candidate in 2022 when he ran for the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
  • Amanda Gonzalez launched her bid for Colorado Secretary of State early this year. Gonzalez is Jefferson County’s Democratic Clerk and Recorder and prior to that was the executive director of the voter rights advocacy group Colorado Common Cause. Gonzalez was an RFS-endorsed candidate in 2022.
  • Brianna Titone is running for State Treasurer in Colorado. She would be the 3rd transgender statewide elected official in the United States and the nation’s first transgender person elected to a statewide executive office. Titone was an RFS-endorsed candidate in 2020 when she ran for Colorado’s State House. 
  • Manny Rutinel announced that he would be throwing his hat in the ring for Congress in CO-8. Rutinel is a Democratic state representative, an environmental attorney, and a community advocate focused on climate justice and building more sustainable, equitable communities in Colorado. Rutinel was an RFS-endorsed candidate in 2024 when he ran for Colorado’s House District 32.
  • Garlin Gilchrist announced his Democratic bid to become Michigan’s first Black Governor. Gilchrist already made history when he became Michigan’s first Black lieutenant governor in 2019. Gilchrist was an RFS-endorsed candidate in 2017 when he ran for Detroit City Clerk.  
  • Mallory McMorrow launched her Senate bid in Michigan earlier this year, hoping to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters and planting her flag in what’s expected to become one of the highest-profile Senate races of the 2026 midterms. McMorrow was an RFS-endorsed candidate in 2022 when she ran for Michigan Senate.  
  • Christian Menefee resigned as Harris County Attorney to run for Congress in TX-18. Menefee has taken on GOP attacks on voting rights, reproductive freedom, and local governance as County Attorney and is now ready to take that same energy to DC. Menefee was an RFS-endorsed candidate in 2024 when he ran for Harris County Attorney.  

These leaders aren’t just launching campaigns, they’re redefining what the Democratic Party looks like. They are breaking away from the outdated tradition of waiting your turn and proving that when we invest early in building an infrastructure, we build a pipeline that can help usher in real change. 

That’s why, last week, we at Run for Something partnered with Senator Bernie Sanders to launch a major new initiative to expand our recruitment effort and build a bench of progressives who are ready to lead in the long run. 

Since our founding in 2017, Run for Something has been building a bench of young, diverse, progressive leaders who aren’t waiting their turn—they’re meeting the moment. And the momentum is only growing. Since the 2024 election, more than 45,000 people have reached out to RFS with interest in throwing their hat in the ring and running for office—this is more than the organization’s first two years combined. Today, RFS has built the largest pipeline of potential candidates in the country, with over 200,000 people from all 50 states.

The next generation of leadership isn’t waiting for their turn. It’s already here—and we’re just getting started.

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Run for Something (RFS) is a political organization that recruits and supports young progressive candidates for down-ballot office. 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 nearly 45,000 people reaching out since November with interest in running for office.