FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 21, 2025
Contact: press@runforsomething.net
RUN FOR SOMETHING EXPANDS ENDORSEMENT CRITERIA TO INCLUDE INDEPENDENTS
NEW YORK, NY — Today, Run for Something, the nation’s leading organization in candidate recruitment and support of young progressives running for state and local offices, announced that it will be broadening its endorsement criteria for 2026 to allow values-aligned candidates running as Independents to apply. The change reflects the urgent need to meet the political moment we are in and support the next generation of leaders—no matter their party label.
“Young people aren’t waiting for permission to lead — they’re showing up, sometimes outside of traditional party structures, to fight for their communities,” said Amanda Litman, co-founder and President of Run for Something. “Our commitment has always been to values, not labels. Expanding our endorsements to include independents is a necessary step to grow the progressive bench and build the power we need for the fights ahead.”
Since the 2024 presidential election, more than 65,000 people have raised their hands with interest in running for office. Most recently, over 10,000 young people signed up to explore a run in the two weeks following Zohran Mamdani’s groundbreaking primary win in New York City. By broadening its endorsement criteria, RFS is positioning itself to harness emerging leaders who are ready to bring their lived experiences to the table and fight for their communities.
RFS’s decision to broaden its endorsement criteria follows the announcement of several partnerships that further establish it as the leading organization on the left, building the infrastructure to recruit and support a strong bench of progressive, values-aligned candidates. Most recently, Run for Something partnered with MoveOn to tap into its younger members and encourage them to run for office, funneling candidates straight into the RFS pipeline.
Earlier this year, RFS also announced that it had teamed up with Senator Bernie Sanders to launch a comprehensive training and mentorship program for aspiring candidates. The partnership kicked off with a joint call that drew over 1,300 young people considering runs for local and state office—the largest candidate recruitment call in RFS’s history.
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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.