FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 25, 2025
Contact: press@runforsomething.net

The Next Generation of Leadership Is Here: Run for Something Exceeds 50 Candidate Victories in 2025 Cycle

NEW YORK, NY — Today, Run for Something (RFS) surpassed 50 candidate victories during the 2025 election cycle. These wins are yet another indicator of the unprecedented energy from young progressives who are ushering in a new generation of bold leadership across the country. 

“The next generation of leaders isn’t coming—it’s already here,” said Run for Something President and Co-Founder Amanda Litman. “Young people have lived the consequences of the gerontocracy’s failures and are doing something about it. They’ve won elections, yes, but they’ve also won real concessions for the people they represent. Voters are hungry for change. If their leaders don’t give it to them, they’ll happily find someone else who will.”

This remarkable achievement comes on the heels of New York City’s historic selection of 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani as the Democratic nominee for mayor, tearing up the old political playbook that failed former governor Andrew Cuomo represents. More and more, young Democrats are refusing to wait their turn and demanding change, running for offices up and down the ballot.

Earlier this week, Run for Something reached 50,000 potential candidates who have signed up to learn more about running for office since Trump was elected in November, outpacing the organization’s first three years of recruitment combined. The majority are under 40, and many are women, people of color, and people who identify as LGBTQIA+ — communities who have been historically underrepresented in local and state government. In total, over 210,000 people have entered RFS’ pipeline since it was founded in 2017.

Founded in the aftermath of the 2016 election, Run for Something was created to provide Democrats with the infrastructure they need to build a long-term progressive bench. Eight years later, it has become a political force, fueling a movement of down-ballot candidates running for everything from school board to state legislatures — and winning. RFS candidates have won over 1,500 races across 49 states, reshaping the political landscape from the ground up. Today, five RFS alumni are serving in Congress, and even more have jumped into statewide and federal races across the country.

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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 50,000 people reaching out since November with interest in running for office.