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| Run for Something | |
|---|---|
| Name | Run for Something |
| Type | Political organization |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Amanda Litman; Ross Morales Rocketto |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Focus | Progressive candidate recruitment and campaign support |
Run for Something is an American political organization founded in 2017 focused on recruiting and supporting progressive candidates for state and local offices. The group gained prominence during the 2018 and 2020 election cycles by endorsing young, diverse candidates and by providing training, communications, and fundraising assistance. Its activities intersect with a range of political actors, advocacy networks, and electoral institutions across the United States.
Run for Something was established in the wake of the 2016 United States presidential election by Amanda Litman and Ross Morales Rocketto, emerging from networks connected to Democratic Party activists, Indivisible, and campus organizing linked to Brennan Center for Justice allies. Early operations built on relationships with groups such as EMILY's List, MoveOn.org Political Action, Swing Left, and state party committees, while drawing attention during the 2017 special elections that included contests like the 2017 United States House of Representatives special election in Georgia's 6th congressional district and the 2017 South Carolina's 5th congressional district special election. By coordinating with progressive elected officials and political consultants associated with figures such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders, the organization institutionalized a pipeline for first-time candidates.
During the 2018 midterms, Run for Something scaled endorsements and training programs in parallel with national mobilizations linked to the 2018 United States midterm elections and partnered with civic groups active since the 2013 Women's March. The group continued into the 2020 cycle, adapting strategies amid developments surrounding the 2020 United States presidential election, the COVID-19 pandemic, and debates in state legislatures such as those convened after the 2020 Georgia Senate runoffs.
Run for Something’s stated mission centers on recruiting and supporting progressive candidates under the age of 40 for down-ballot offices, often targeting state legislatures, mayoral races, and school boards. The organization runs training academies modeled on programs like Victory Institute trainings and community outreach techniques used by EMILY's List and Campaign for Our Shared Future. Activities include candidate recruitment events, communications workshops resembling The Lincoln Project media work, digital fundraising platforms comparable to ActBlue, and volunteer mobilization strategies paralleling those employed by Flippable and NextGen America.
Programmatic elements feature candidate coaching, messaging development, and data-driven voter contact modeled after approaches used by Data for Progress and consulting firms that aided campaigns in the 2018 Virginia House of Delegates election. Run for Something also engages in coalition-building with labor organizations such as SEIU and civic groups like Color of Change to expand outreach to constituencies represented by endorsed candidates.
The organization has publicly endorsed hundreds of candidates, many of whom ran in races across states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. Notable endorsed candidates have included individuals who later joined caucuses led by figures such as Pramila Jayapal and Ilhan Omar, and some endorsed candidates were part of recruitment efforts that echoed earlier campaigns by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. Endorsements often carried logistical support, in-kind consulting similar to services from New Virginia Majority, and introductions to donor networks connected to ActBlue and progressive political action committees.
Run for Something’s slate endorsements have been coordinated with other organizations during critical races, collaborating with groups involved in the 2018 Michigan gubernatorial election and municipal contests tied to debates in states like California and New York. The organization has used endorsement lists to amplify candidates on social media channels, drawing on marketing practices from digital-first groups such as NextGen America and Brand New Congress.
Run for Something operates as a nonprofit political organization with a leadership team including its founders and staff experienced in campaign operations, communications, and candidate training. Its governance and advisory networks include former staffers from campaigns associated with Barack Obama, policy professionals connected to think tanks like Center for American Progress, and consultants from firms that have worked with elected officials such as Gavin Newsom and Jared Polis.
Funding sources encompass small-dollar donations processed through platforms like ActBlue, grants from progressive foundations with ties to philanthropy in the Open Society Foundations orbit, and high-dollar contributions from individual donors active in Democratic circles similar to supporters of Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. The organization has also received in-kind contributions from allied groups and revenue from paid training programs.
Run for Something has faced criticism from conservative commentators aligned with organizations like Heritage Foundation and Federalist Society, who have argued that its activities accelerate partisan polarization. Progressive critics and some veteran organizers have also questioned candidate vetting processes, drawing comparisons to debates that followed recruitment programs such as Brand New Congress and controversies involving staff turnover in groups linked to the 2016 Democratic National Committee era. Questions have been raised about the balance between electoral pragmatism and ideological purity, with reference to intra-party disputes seen during the 2018 Democratic primaries and tensions reminiscent of those between the Progressive Caucus and establishment Democrats.
Allegations concerning fundraising transparency and coordination with other groups surfaced amid scrutiny similar to investigations into political nonprofit practices tied to the McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission context, prompting calls for clearer reporting from state ethics commissions.
Run for Something claims credit for recruiting and supporting numerous successful candidates for state and local offices, with electoral achievements echoing broader progressive gains in cycles like the 2018 United States elections and subsequent municipal contests. Endorsed candidates have won seats in state legislatures, city councils, and school boards across jurisdictions including Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, influencing policy debates in chambers where pivotal votes mirrored shifts observed after the 2018 Virginia House of Delegates election.
The organization’s long-term electoral impact continues to be assessed by analysts at institutions such as Brennan Center for Justice and political science scholars studying candidate pipelines and recruitment effects following the 2016 United States presidential election. Its role in reshaping recruiting norms and creating pathways for younger, diverse officeholders parallels historical patterns of candidate recruitment seen in movements connected to EMILY's List and New Politics.
Category:American political organizations