Brianna Wu, who fought trolls during GamerGate, plans to run for Congress in 2018

Brianna Wu.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Video game developer Brianna Wu will run for a seat in the House of Representatives in 2018, she announced on Facebook on Wednesday. Wu, 39, is perhaps best known for heading the indie game studio Giant Spacekat as well as for being an outspoken critic — and target — of the GamerGate movement and the harassment women face online.

"When I started speaking out about harassment, I thought something would change. But it hasn't — every single system failed us," Wu said Wednesday. "We're getting diminishing returns on writing and speaking out about harassment. I think the next step is running for office and passing laws."

Wu is Boston-based, but clarified she would "never" run against Rep. Katherine Clark, a fellow Democrat from Massachusetts. Wu plans to work to unite supporters of Hillary Clinton and Clinton's primary opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders: "I didn't personally support Sanders in the primary, but he tapped into a very powerful disconnect between our party's leadership and our base," Wu told VentureBeat. "We want leaders that will fight for us, and all too often the Democrats don't stand up to the fringe extreme of the Republican Party."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Wu added that her main agenda is economic, and that she plans to serve on the House technology subcommittee if she is elected. "Here in Massachusetts, taxpayers spend an amazing amount on subsidizing education — particularly with infrastructure. But then students and entrepreneurs take that investment by our state to San Francisco or Austin," she said. Citing the game industry, Wu added, "I think we can do a much better job keeping startups here in our state."

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.

Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.