Youth Activist David Hogg Says Dems Need Competitive Primaries and Better Funding for Young Candidates

David Hogg, the Parkland shooting survivor turned political activist, delivered a pointed critique of the Democratic Party’s leadership structure, arguing that the party must embrace a younger generation of voters to remain relevant and effective.

He spoke at a virtual town hall hosted by Civic Engagement Beyond Voting (CEBV) on August 12, 20215.

Millennials and Gen Z constitute 48.5% of voters, but they are feeling overlooked by the Democratic Party

Speaking to progressive activists across Arizona, Hogg, now 25, outlined his vision for reinvigorating Democratic politics through his organization Leaders We Deserve, which has raised $11 million to elect young progressive candidates to office.

Breaking the “Seniority Politics” Culture

Hogg’s most striking comments targeted what he called the Democratic Party’s “culture of seniority politics,” arguing that experience only matters when it produces results.

Hogg didn’t shy away from critiquing Democrats, warning that the party is “hemorrhaging young people” by favoring seniority over competition. “When does it stop being a messaging problem and start being a messenger problem?” he asked.

He called for vigorous primaries in safe Democratic districts while maintaining unity in swing seats. “We are way too comfortable letting somebody stay in the same position and unchallenged for decades, he said.”

“We need to ask ourselves when does it stop being a messaging problem and when is it more a messenger problem and a competition problem?” Hogg said. “We are way too comfortable letting somebody stay in the same position and unchallenged for decades.”

He advocated for a “rigorous process of competition” in safe Democratic seats. However, he emphasized the strategy should focus on districts with a D+9 advantage or greater to avoid risking losses in competitive races.

The Representation Gap

Hogg highlighted a stark statistical reality: if Congress reflected the general population’s age demographics, there would be over 40 members under age 30. Currently, there is only one—Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida, whose election Hogg helped orchestrate.

“We need people in there who are going to live to see the consequences decades down the line of the laws that they’re passing now,” Hogg argued, citing examples of presidents like Joe Biden, LBJ, and FDR who all entered federal office in their late twenties.

The Funding Disparity Problem

When asked about countering conservative youth organization Turning Point USA’s campus presence, Hogg was blunt about resource constraints.

“It’s going to require probably between $100 and $200 million every two years,” he said. “We love to say we love young people in this party. We do not put funding behind them anywhere near enough at all.”

Hogg also highlighted structural barriers to public service, noting that many state legislators receive inadequate compensation—citing Texas’s $7,000 annual salary as an example of how low pay invites corruption and excludes working-class candidates.

Even in Arizona, where lawmakers earn $24,000 plus per diem, inequities persist. “We expect our legislators to be full-time politicians while giving them less than part-time pay,” he said.

Call for Women Candidates

Hogg expressed particular concern about the gender gap in young political candidates, noting that while 90% of March for Our Lives organizers were women, 70-75% of young people running for office are men.

“We need to elect at least one or two of the first Gen Z women to Congress, period,” he said, encouraging audience members to identify and recruit qualified young women who might be hesitant to run.

Looking Forward

Leaders We Deserve, supported by 200,000 small-dollar donors, continues to identify and fund progressive young candidates. Hogg emphasized the organization’s strict criteria, including refusing corporate PAC money and supporting comprehensive gun reform and abortion rights.

The organization recently supported successful candidates, including Democrat Molly Cook, age 34, now the youngest state senator in Texas. She won by just 62 votes and is currently leading redistricting reform efforts.

Hogg concluded his remarks by encouraging audience members to identify potential candidates through the organization’s website, emphasizing that building a progressive future requires investing in the generation that will live with the consequences of today’s political decisions.