Youthquake: ‘Run for Something’ Unleases a New Democratic Generation

In a post-election briefing that felt like a call to arms, Run for Something President Amanda Litman delivered a clear message to Democrats nationwide: the next generation isn’t waiting its turn — it’s taking its seat at the table.

Speaking to hundreds of supporters on November 18, 2025, Litman unveiled staggering statistics underscoring a tectonic shift in Democratic talent recruitment.

• More than 75,000 young people have stepped forward in the last year to say they want to run for office — more than during the entire first term of Donald Trump.
• More than 10,000 have already taken concrete steps along their candidate journey.

“These young leaders are done waiting their turn,” Litman said. “They want bold, brave action. They want leaders who understand this moment and can communicate in a way that breaks through.”

Run for Something is currently working to match $300,000 in donations as it heads into its ninth year of operation, with Litman calling it the largest recruitment pipeline in its history—nearly a quarter million young people who have ever raised their hands to run.

The organization launched an online platform called the Run for Something Community, offering training, one-to-one mentorship and peer connections.

A Massive Election Night — and a Warning

The 2025 elections were a breakout year for the organization. Run for Something had 222 candidates on the ballot, with 144 victories and another 10 advancing to runoffs — a remarkable 68% win-or-advance rate. The group flipped 43 seats from red to blue, including deep-red districts where Donald Trump had won by double digits.

Litman cautioned that an overly high win rate can mean an organization isn’t taking big enough risks. “We like hard fights,” she said. “If your win rate is 100%, you’re not swinging big enough.”

Dan Pfeiffer: Democrats Must Stop Being Afraid to Win

Joining the briefing was former Obama advisor and Pod Save America co-host Dan Pfeiffer, who offered a blunt diagnosis of the Democratic Party’s recent struggles: risk aversion and calcified leadership.

“We’ve been stuck with the same set of leaders for a very long time,” Pfeiffer said. “We’re so worried about not losing that we never get around to winning.”

Pfeiffer argued that Democrats’ future depends on connection, credibility, and courage — qualities he sees in abundance among the millennial and Gen Z candidates stepping forward.

“People who grew up with smartphones and social media communicate differently — and more effectively,” he said. “We need candidates who can talk like humans, not politicians frozen in amber from the era they first ran.”

The New Democratic Bench: More Diverse, More Local, More Real

Run for Something candidates are built by the communities they serve — renters, young parents, veterans, social workers, and college grads shaped by affordability crises.

Among the standout wins highlighted:

• Andrew Harbaugh, a former Republican in rural Pennsylvania, flipped a seat Trump carried 70–30.
• Stacey Carroll, a veteran and CPA, flipped a Virginia House seat.
• Jaden Williams, a recent college graduate, became the youngest mayor in Stockbridge, Georgia.
• Allie Jackson, a social worker, helped flip the Aurora, Colorado City Council, defeating a MAGA-aligned incumbent whom Trump personally championed.

“These leaders don’t just talk the talk,” Litman said. “They know the stakes because they’re living them. We don’t need to be messaging experts. We need to be storytelling experts.”

2026 and Beyond: A Strategic Map to Rebuild Democracy

Litman announced Run for Something’s bold five-year plan, Battle Up, aimed at lifting Democratic leadership in 12 strategically critical states — not just purple battlegrounds like Arizona, North Carolina, and Georgia, but long-term plays such as Idaho, Nebraska, Utah, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida.

Run for Something already has 750 potential candidates in Idaho alone, Litman noted.

The organization will also — for the first time — endorse independents in targeted races, acknowledging that Gen Z identifies as independent at historic levels and that the Democratic label is toxic in some regions.

“We don’t care about credit,” Litman said. “We care about electing leaders who fit their communities.”

Dem Officeholders are too old, too slow and hooked on nostalgia

Litman and Pfeiffer delivered a sharp critique of the Democratic establishment:

• Too many Democratic elders cling to leadership. For example, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), 88, has dementia and struggles to walk alone without needing assistance. Yet she refuses calls to step down and insists she’ll run for an 18th term.
• Senator Dianne Feinstein died in office at age 90 in 2023, suffering pronounced memory loss, confusion, physical frailty and frequent hospitalizations. She missed nearly 100 votes because of a bout with shingles. She did not recognize familiar staff, forgot briefings, and exhibited confusion during official committee votes.
• The national party is too slow-moving.
• Too much strategy is built on nostalgia for pre-Trump politics.
• Too many organizations refuse to support primary challengers.

“If you want new leaders,” Pfeiffer said, “you have to run people against the old leaders. Full stop.”

Candidates: “Be Brave. Be Bold. Be Yourself.”

Three newly elected Run for Something alums — Lily Franklin (VA), Will Rivera (NY), and Taylor Roett (TX) — described why young leaders are resonating.

• Franklin: “We’ve grown up in constant change — economic uncertainty, polarization, rapid technology shifts. We understand the world voters are living in.”
• Rivera: “People told me not to dress like myself, not to be myself. I told them: ‘Don’t tell me what to do.’”
• Roett: “People are crying out for change. We feel what they’re feeling — affordability, housing, schools — because we live it too.”

Roett now heads into a January 31 runoff for a Texas state senate seat that Trump won by 17 points.

Litman ended the briefing saying, “We cannot rely on anti-Trump sentiment forever. Voters need to believe their lives will get better. And the best place to prove that is at the local level.”