Coalition for Our Revolution

Coalition for Our Revolution
Name	Coalition for Our Revolution
Founded	2016
Founders	Bernie Sanders, Jeff Weaver
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Key people	Ed Rendell, Mollie Hemingway, Jeremy Corbyn, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Focus	Progressive political organizing

Coalition for Our Revolution is a progressive political organization established in the wake of the 2016 United States presidential election to coordinate grassroots organizing, candidate support, and policy advocacy. It emerged amid debates within the Democratic Party and broader left-leaning movements involving figures from the 2016 primary, trade union leaders, and community organizers. The coalition has intersected with national campaigns, municipal initiatives, and international dialogues involving politicians, think tanks, and activist networks.

History

The organization's formation followed the 2016 primary contest featuring Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and other contenders during the lead-up to the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Early meetings included strategists who had worked on the Sanders 2016 campaign alongside organizers linked to MoveOn, Working Families Party, and chapters of Our Revolution (organization), drawing comparisons to historical realignments such as the influence of Progressive Party activism and the activism that followed the New Deal era. Initial public attention coincided with policy debates in the United States Congress and mobilizations around the 2017 Women's March, the 2018 midterms, and local races in places like California, New York City, and Chicago. Prominent appearances involved coordination with elected officials from the United States House of Representatives and municipal coalitions modeled on alliances seen in the histories of Coalition of the Willing and labor coalitions related to AFL–CIO campaigns.

Mission and Ideology

The coalition frames its mission in alignment with progressive platforms advocated by leaders such as Bernie Sanders and movements associated with Democratic Socialists of America activists like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Its stated priorities reflect policy emphases found in the platforms of the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries and later progressive manifestos that echo initiatives from the Green New Deal proposals and healthcare debates reminiscent of the Affordable Care Act discourse. The ideological orientation draws on traditions linked to figures like Eugene V. Debs and organizations such as Industrial Workers of the World, while situating itself within contemporary coalitions alongside groups like MoveOn and Justice Democrats.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

Leadership includes former campaign staffers associated with Bernie Sanders and municipal organizers who have worked with unions such as SEIU and UNITE HERE. The governance model cites advisory councils with representatives from regional chapters in California, Texas, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, and partnerships with policy institutes comparable to Center for American Progress and Heritage Foundation only in the sense of cross-sector dialogue. Public figures involved have included elected officials like Pramila Jayapal and commentators who have appeared on networks such as MSNBC and PBS. The organization adopted a decentralized chapter model inspired by historical precedents in the Civil Rights Movement and contemporary practices used by Indivisible (organization).

Activities and Campaigns

Activities have ranged from supporting primary challengers in races against entrenched incumbents during the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections to lobbying state legislatures in New York (state), California State Legislature, and Massachusetts on issues including campaign finance reform, labor rights, and environmental policy. Campaign tactics included digital organizing on platforms like Twitter, coordinated field canvassing informed by techniques from the Organizing for America program, and coalition events featuring speakers from groups such as Sierra Club, NAACP, and Planned Parenthood. The coalition organized voter registration drives ahead of the 2020 United States presidential election and supported municipal ballot initiatives similar to those advanced in Seattle and Portland, Oregon.

Funding and Affiliations

Funding sources reported by allied entities have included small-donor crowdfunding modeled on the fundraising architecture of the Sanders 2016 presidential campaign, contributions from labor unions linked to AFL–CIO affiliates, and grants from progressive philanthropic networks with ties to foundations resembling Tides Foundation and donor circles that have previously supported groups like Color of Change. The coalition maintained relationships, formal and informal, with advocacy organizations such as Our Revolution (organization), Justice Democrats, and local chapters of MoveOn, while engaging in occasional tactical coordination with politicians from the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Controversies and Criticism

Critics compared the coalition's strategies to factional disputes seen in the histories of the Democratic Party and cited tensions analogous to those between establishment figures like Hillary Clinton supporters and insurgent wings embodied by Bernie Sanders allies. Allegations included disputes over candidate endorsements during contentious primaries, internal governance debates similar to controversies that affected Occupy Wall Street-affiliated groups, and scrutiny over funding transparency paralleling critiques lodged against various political nonprofits. Opponents from more moderate organizations and commentators such as those at The Washington Post, The New York Times, and conservative outlets referenced clashes during key races in 2018 and 2020 that mirrored broader partisan realignments discussed in analyses of the Tea Party movement and reform efforts associated with Campaign for America's Future.

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United States