By David Hogg, Co-founder of Leaders We Deserve, a grassroots organization dedicated to electing young progressives.
- Families woken up with guns in their faces. Kids zip-tied and traumatized for life.
- U.S. citizens cuffed and detained for hours without a warrant.
- Homes and personal belongings destroyed.
- A community and countless lives changed forever.
This is life in America today — where military raids against our own people are routine and Black and Brown communities are terrorized.
What’s happening in Chicago right now should horrify everyone in this country — and every elected official needs to speak out and stop normalizing fascism.
A South Shore apartment building in Chicago — where families, working people, kids, and seniors live — was raided by the military and ICE in the middle of the night.
But turn on CNN or look at too many prominent Democrats’ social media, and you’d have no idea our cities are under siege.
A lot of Democrats are staying silent — and it’s normalizing and enabling Trump’s shocking cruelty. They’re not showing enough urgency as our own government puts cities under siege and masked agents grab people from the street and disappear them to foreign countries without telling their loved ones.
This is exactly why I left the DNC. Too many Democrats in D.C. are silent, complacent, and beholden to special interests. They treat public office like something they’re owed — not a responsibility to earn from the people they serve.
We expect complicity from Republicans — but when Democrats are silent, it’s even more disgusting. They represent the communities under attack — and when their constituents need them most, many of them fail to meet the moment.
At Leaders We Deserve, we’re building a new generation of young, progressive leaders — an inspiring vision for the Democratic Party that people actually like and want to vote for.
It’s why we back people like Democratic State Senator Robert Peters, age 40, in his run for Congress. He represents the South Shore community — and he’s showing up, meeting with impacted families, and demanding accountability.
We need more leaders like Robert — ones who meet the moment, use their power, and speak out — not ones who think it’s acceptable to put out a press release and go M.I.A. while our rights are destroyed.
Endorsing changemakers
We just rolled out our latest round of 2026 endorsements — and I couldn’t be prouder or more excited about these candidates.
Take Democrat Justin Pearson, age 30, a bold, effective leader who always does what’s right for his community — not for his own political safety. He is one of the “Tennessee Three,” whom Republicans expelled Justin from the state legislature for standing up to the NRA after a school shooting. He also stopped a billion-dollar corporation from building a harmful oil pipeline in his community.
Now, he’s challenging a longtime Congressman in Tennessee’s 9th District who has failed to deliver for Memphis — and we couldn’t be more excited to back him.
Then there’s Donavan McKinney, age 33, in Michigan’s 13th District. Donovan’s challenging one of the most corrupt and ineffective Democrats in D.C — a guy who takes millions from AIPAC, broke his no-corporate-PAC pledge, and spent more taxpayer money on advertising than any other member of Congress.
Donovan’s the opposite — he delivers real results for Detroit, including millions for gun violence prevention, replacing lead pipes, and taking on private utilities that have long controlled Michigan politics.
Our other endorsees share their courage:
Christian Menefee (TX-18) — As Houston’s County Attorney, he’s proven he’s not afraid to take on the powerful — including Trump, mega-polluters, and corporate fraudsters.
Randy Villegas (CA-22) — An educator, organizer, and proud son of immigrants who can flip a highly competitive swing seat — but first must win a primary against one of California’s most conservative Democrats.
Akbar Ali (GA-HD-106) — At 21 years old, he would be the youngest state rep in Georgia history, proving that young people can beat the odds to lead with courage.
This is what real leadership looks like.
Learn more at Leaders We Deserve.
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“One of the main problems the Democratic base has with the leadership is the country has changed way beyond what they’re used to. “
100% this.
I saw Jon Stewart interview Ken Martin, head of the DNC. For an hour the guy said NOTHING useful, other than to bring up the 90’s a bunch of times.
Really? The 90’s? When Bill Clinton sold us all out?
“The era of big government is over” he said, which is just rephrasing Reagan’s “government isn’t the solution to our problems, government is the problem”.
Rush Limbaugh was a tame little kittne compared to what’s out there on the right now, and the MSM, which was never liberal, is all Bezo’s and Bari Weiss now.
PedoPOTUS has no guardrails. The last true Republican POTUS was Obama.
Corporate dems are not going to save us, they’re Republican lite, and have been for a long time.
Primary them.
I always thought the last true Republican POTUS was Clinton but I yield to your wisdom. Unless he was in a coma Obama was fully aware of how Clinton was treated by Repugs. Even after pushing NAFTA he was still vilified. And though Obama had large majorities in the House & Senate he still allowed the Repugs to repeatedly take his lunch money…in the name of “bipartisanship”.
Obama early in his campaign- “I will not take corporate money “.
Also Obama – “I am taking corporate money “.
The least bad POTUS since Carter but still a corporate shill and don’t get me started on the endless drone bombings and deportations.
He ran a Clinton-esque campaign and governed like a Clinton.
I get why but Corporate-Clinton style Dems are why we’re here.
Remember Biden telling corporate America “under my White House nothing will change?”
Hate to be the one to tell you, the world has changed and the Dems are more worried about donors than us.
Did you guys see that Chorus crap.
Some liberal influencers are getting 8000 a month to influence on social media but they have to agree to only talk about “approved” topics.
https://www.wired.com/story/dark-money-group-secret-funding-democrat-influencers/
This is why corporate dems are beyond useless.
Primary every last one.
Twice.
Listen to this kid and primary the crap out of corporate dems.
Dems are lying low hoping PedoPOTUS and the GQP will piss off enough voters for them to get a few seats back when they should be FIGHTING FOR US EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY.
Dems are cowards which is bad enough but they’re also stupid AF if they think PedoPOTUS isn’t already rigging the next few elections. They’re not going to win jackshit in 2026 because it won’t be a free election.
Project 2025 is in full bloom and PedoPOTUS is sending US troops to American cities now to normalize a military presence on our streets later so he prevent Dems from voting.
Jeffrey Epstein’s best friend has already changed America for the worse and we’re not even done with year one.
Dems are blowing it.
Seems the Democratic leadership would rather sit back & hope they win a slim majority instead of working their asses of to win a super majority.
Perfect example: Rural hospitals in Kentucky closing due to the Repug’s Beautiful BS Bill and not a Democrat on the scene raising Hell. Bernie and Alexandria can’t be everywhere all at once. Step up Chuck & Hakeem!
Slim majority, super majority, makes no difference – the payday, courtesy their corporate masters, is the same.
No reason for the extra effort.
Just ask them.
Well Craig, that’s why we call for not just more but BETTER Democrats.
One of the main problems the Democratic base has with the leadership is the country has changed way beyond what they’re used to. Along with clinging to their positions they seek to perpetrate their version of the Party.
Latest example is a progressive Democratic challenger, Graham Platner, who has a credible win against Susan Collins. Chuck Schumer can’t tolerate that so he’s meddling by encouraging 77 year old Janet Mills to jump into the race. Not a slam against Janet Mills, who’s done a decent job standing up to Felonious Punk but Schumer really should stay out of it. Guess he didn’t learn anything after inflicting Krysten Sinema on Arizona and the nation.
Schumer should stay out of it.
He won’t though.
His corporate masters don’t want him to do so – Sinema, Manchin, and Shumer himself are their ideal electeds.
To paraphrase Colonel Kurtz: They’re errand boys and girls sent by grocery clerks to collect a bill.
A quote from a movie almost, almost, as dark as the novel it’s based on.
Well, apparently Janet Mills has gone on the record as opposing getting rid of the filibuster. No matter what Graham Platner past Reddit posts said (which he has since disavowed), Governor Mills may have inflicted a major blow to her campaign.