On Oct. 30, 2025, Northeastern University hosted one of the leading political voices for millennials and Gen Z, Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of Run for Something, as part of its Civic Experience series. Named a Time Next 100 honoree in 2022 and listed on Politico’s 50 Ideas Driving Politics in 2018, Bloomberg’s People to Watch in 2019 and a member of Fortune’s 40 Under 40 in 2020, Litman is a force of nature in the world of politics and a source of hope for modern democracy. Run for Something, a national organization that recruits and supports young progressive candidates for local office, has inspired over 230,000 people 40 and under to take the leap and “run for something.” Since its launch in 2017, the group has helped elect over 1,500 leaders in 49 states, mainly women and people of color.
During the two-hour panel, Litman discussed both what led her to start the organization with her co-founder, Ross Morales Rocketto, and the importance of its impact on our political communities today.
The oldest of four children, Litman grew up attending political rallies with her best friend’s mom and going door-to-door for the Virginia Democratic Party. A high school AP Government teacher later reshaped her perspective on campaigns, painting them as a mixture of art and science and sparking a deeper interest in how they worked. Around the same time, Litman skipped class to attend the speech by an up-and-coming politician, Barack Obama, an experience that solidified her interest in campaigning and strengthened her drive to work in politics.
While completing a bachelor’s degree in American studies at Northwestern University, Litman worked as an email writer for President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign during the second half of her senior year. She likened the experience to a fraternity or sorority, describing a true sense of family and purpose on the campaign. Her career in digital strategy continued as digital director for Charlie Crist’s 2014 Florida gubernatorial campaign, where she developed a close relationship with Crist, before serving as email director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. There, she managed a team of 30 and succeeded in raising $330 million. Litman described the Clinton campaign as “hyperbolic,” marked by 100-hour workweeks and women marching in the streets.
After Clinton’s concession, Litman took a step back to view the political system as a whole and began to notice the weak bench of political candidates, especially among young American progressives. Seeing the gap as a problem few were addressing, she took everything she knew about campaigning, and, with the help of co-founder Rocketto, built what has become one of the largest candidate pipelines in America. Branded Run for Something, the organization offers online training and community, candidate endorsements and a strategic approach for anyone 40 and under running for office. The group has demystified the election process by providing the structure and support needed for young people to overcome gaps in experience and funding when facing older opponents.
Why does this matter?
In 2024 alone, Ballotpedia tracked 76,902 political elections across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories. Of these races, 54,385 went uncontested — about 70%. Without candidates to challenge one another, democracy suffers, and so do the people it was built to represent. A lack of real choice for voters means that key issues are swept underfoot, and one-party dominance often continues without accountability. Underperforming officials face little pressure to grow and better meet the needs of their communities.
The problem runs deeper than empty ballots. The median American is 39 years old, while the median member of the House of Representatives is 57.5 and the Senate 64.7. This reflects a clear disconnect between our country’s population and its political representation. Age shapes priorities, and different generations face different concerns: Younger Americans may worry about student debt, while older Americans may be focused on Social Security. The nation deserves a diverse set of candidates who can accurately represent the full range of needs and interests, not just those of the wealthy, educated and experienced.
Litman’s call to action at the Civic Experience event was clear and urgent: Democracy needs us, and regardless of how daunting it may seem, younger generations are capable of driving change. We don’t need to wait until we are older, appear more qualified or meet past standards to make a difference. The Civic Experience at Northeastern was created to do exactly this: connect students with public leaders and explore how they can shape policy, drive innovation and create impact early in their careers. Litman implores students and young adults to become more politically engaged and to pay attention to what is happening around them, even just on college campuses and in the surrounding communities.
She concluded the evening with a challenge: What needs to change? Who can change it? Why not you?