More than 1,000 young liberals signed up to run for office this weekend
More than 1,000 liberals under 35 years old signed up to run for political office this past weekend, The Huffington Post reports. The effort was lead by a grassroots organization called Run for Something, which was founded by Hillary Clinton's email director, Amanda Litman, and progressive political operative Ross Morales Rocketto.
"Run for Something will recruit and support talented, passionate youngsters who will advocate for progressive values now and for the next 30 years, with the ultimate goal of building a progressive bench," the organization explains on its website. "We'll take a chance on people the usual 'institutions' might never encounter. We'll help people run for offices like state legislatures, mayorships, city council seats, and more. We'll do whatever it takes to get more under-35 year-olds on the ballot."
Run for Something told The Huffington Post that it doubled its recruits in three days, bouncing up to 2,200 members after President Donald Trump issued his executive order halting the refugee resettlement program and temporarily blocking people from seven predominately Muslim nations from entering the country. "Anyone leading a protest or organizing friends to get to a local airport should think about running for office," Litman said. "Trump's presidency is already inspiring an incredible wave of energy and re-engagement in civic life ― running and winning is how we capture that and make it last."
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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.
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