Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg and campaign manager Kevin Lata are joining forces to launch Leaders We Deserve, a new organization dedicated to electing young individuals to state legislatures and Congress. The group will support candidates under the age of 30 for state legislatures and under the age of 35 for the House of Representatives. Hogg, known for his activism with March for Our Lives, and Lata, the campaign manager for the youngest-ever member of Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost, are leading the charge.
In a video introducing the group, Hogg states, “We need to elect more young, fearless progressives to Congress, and especially our state legislatures. Join us as we build off the legacy of young leaders throughout our nation’s history and reshape the balance of power.”
Hogg compares Leaders We Deserve to EMILY’s List, a group supporting pro-choice women in Democratic primaries. He explains, “We want to come in at the early stages of a campaign and provide assistance in getting the candidates up and running.”
The organization will have both a regular PAC to directly support candidates and a super PAC for advertising purposes, as long as there is no direct coordination. The group’s primary focus will be on state legislatures in states that are transitioning from red to blue, such as Georgia, Arizona, and Texas. Additionally, they will provide support to select congressional candidates in heavily Democratic districts, similar to Rep. Frost’s victory.
The advisory board of Leaders We Deserve includes Reps. Jamie Raskin, Lauren Underwood, Eric Swalwell, Rob Menendez, Jan Schakowsky, and Sen. Chris Murphy. It also features notable state legislators like Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride, a strong candidate for the state’s congressional seat, and Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones, who recently won back his seat in the state legislature after being expelled by state Republicans following a gun control protest.
Hogg and Lata emphasize that the group is not trying to remove incumbent Democrats or exclude older individuals from office. Despite millennials and Gen Zers making up a significant portion of the electorate in 2024, less than 6% of Congress members are under the age of 40. Hogg states, “This is not about being against older people by any means. This is about creating a cross-generational coalition.”
Hogg draws parallels between the Baby Boomer generation’s environmental and arms control efforts and the motivation of millennials and Gen Zers to address climate change and gun control. He states, “We need elected officials who understand the anxiety young people face during school shooter drills. Just as older generations acted on their concerns, we must do the same.”
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