FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 24, 2026
Contact: [email protected]

Run for Something Candidates Secure Victories Across New York and Maryland

NEW YORK — Yesterday’s wins from Run for Something-backed candidates across New York and Maryland demonstrate that voters are hungry for a new generation of leaders who are bold, young, and authentic. From renters and tenant organizers to public defenders and former fast-food workers, these young leaders are unafraid to go against the status quo to share a new vision for the future — and voters are responding. 

“Voters want big swings and change in every corner of the country. Candidates with strong values and backbones are communicating with their authentic, lived experiences front and center, building the trust they need with voters to win,” said Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of Run for Something. “Candidates rooted in their community, who reflect the places they are in and can speak honestly about what they believe in, can overcome the odds. Voters want change and are fed up with the status quo, and we’re shifting the face of leadership one election at a time.”

Run for Something candidates who ran and won include:

  • Claire Valdez (Run for Something Alumni),  a State Assembly Member, renter, and union member with lived experience working low-wage jobs, won the Democratic primary for New York’s 7th Congressional District, defeating Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso to replace retiring Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez.
  • Brian Romero (Run for Something Endorsed Candidate), a renter and son of immigrants who experienced homelessness as a child, related his own experiences to voters in the district and secured the nomination for New York State Assembly, District 34.
  • Christian Celeste Tate (Run for Something Endorsed Candidate) an anti-poverty organizer, unseated incumbent Assemblyman Erik Dilan for New York State Assembly District 54.
  • David Orkin (Run for Something Endorsed Candidate), an immigrant workers’ rights attorney and union organizer, defeated incumbent Jenifer Rajkumar for New York State Assembly District 38.
  • Eli Northrup (Run for Something Endorsed Candidate), a policy advocate and public defender who has dedicated his career to equity, criminal justice reform, and social justice, won his primary race for New York State Assembly District 69.
  • Samantha Kattan (Run for Something Endorsed Candidate), a tenant organizer and daughter of immigrants who ran on affordability and stronger tenant protections, won the nomination for State Assembly District 37. This seat is currently held by Claire Valdez.
  • Amar Mukunda (Run for Something Endorsed Candidate) is poised to defeat State Senate Majority Leader Nancy King in Maryland’s 39th Legislative District, unseating an entrenched incumbent who has been in the legislature for the last 20 years. 

###


The Run for Something network includes Run for Something Civics, Run for Something Action Fund, and Run for Something PAC. Run for Something PAC (RFS) recruits and supports young progressive candidates running for state and local offices. Since its founding, RFS has helped elect over 1,600 candidates across the country, including 43 candidates in red-to-blue seats in the 2025 election cycle. Today, RFS has the largest database of any other Democratic organization, with 80,000 people reaching out since November 2024 with interest in running for office.