Democratic group aimed at supporting young candidates for office releases first slate of endorsements

A Democratic group aimed at recruiting and supporting younger candidates for political office announced its first slate of endorsements Thursday.

Leaders We Deserve — a group founded by March For Our Lives co-founder David Hogg and Kevin Lata, Rep. Maxwell Frost’s (D-Fla.) campaign manager — announced that the group would be supporting three candidates running for different state legislative races across the country, according to endorsements first shared with The Hill. 

Those include former Virginia Delegate Nadarius Clark (D) running in state House District 84; Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee member Sylvia Swayne (D) in Alabama state House District 55; and former state legislative aide Tsion Amare (D) running in Texas state House District 113.

Clark previously represented Virginia state House District 79, where he made history in the state as the House of Delegates’s youngest Democratic member to be elected, in addition to becoming the first Black lawmaker to hold his seat.

Alabama could see its first openly transgender candidate elected to public office if Swayne wins — she’s already the first transgender candidate to seek higher office in the state. Amare could become the state’s first Ethiopian-American lawmaker, in addition to the state House’s youngest member. 

“For too long, young people have been under attack by state legislatures that believe they can attack young LGBTQ+ people, refuse to pass gun laws or address racial justice, and try to stop us from voting,” Hogg said in a statement. 

“Now, young Americans are coming for the one thing these corrupt politicians do care about, which is their jobs. To the candidates who stand in the way of change and the progress these young people are bringing, I hope they have their resumes ready,” he added.

Hogg and Lata launched Leaders We Deserve two months ago. The group dubs itself “EMILY’s List for young people” and aims to support Millennial and Gen Z candidates looking to run for state legislature or Congress. 

“When you first run for office, it is very hard. … Running for office is not like anything else. And when you’re a young person, it’s even harder, because you don’t always have like all the political connections, all the donor connections. And so the idea is … like going in and helping out with the mechanics, the fundamentals of the race,” Lata told The Hill during an interview in August.