National Run For Office Day Recruits Gen Z, Other Underrepresented Groups to Run For Office Ahead of 2024 Election

National Run For Office Day is the largest recorded effort to recruit potential candidates to put their name on the ballot, engaging brands, celebrities, elected officials and more to increase representation

Washington, DC: Today is National Run For Office Day, an effort led by Civic Nation and Run for Something Civics to increase representation at every level of government. The nonpartisan campaign encourages people who are underrepresented in elected office, including young people, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and people with disabilities to run for elected office – especially local offices.

The campaign meets people where they are, using social media, in-person events and creative content to engage community and corporate partners, brands, celebrities, influencers and leaders across industries to spread the message of National Run For Office Day. Local elected officials in New York will join a celebration at Argent today to encourage more people to run for office. The event will include giveaways from Glossier, interactive photo opportunities and critical conversations about running for office.

Nearly 70% of races on the ballot during the November 2022 midterm elections were unopposed or uncontested, including 85% of state elections and 67% of local elections — so there is a place for young people and other underrepresented groups on the ballot. 41 million members of Gen Z will be eligible to vote this year. When surveyed, 20% of young people said they would run for office.

“Our democracy works best when our government is truly representative of the communities it serves and when voters actually have choices when it comes to who to vote for. That’s why Civic Nation is proud to work with Run For Something Civics to lead National Run For Office Day. Today, we’re asking people who care about their communities and want to make them better to take the next step and run for office. From the school board to the Senate, every race matters, and every elected leader has the power to drive change in our communities,” said Kyle Lierman, CEO of Civic Nation.

“We as a country are facing big problems right now, and new leaders are positioned to solve them, which will help all of our communities. We can change government from the bottom up by recruiting and electing young and diverse people to local and state elected offices, especially those who have been historically left out of the political process,” said Amanda Litman, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Run For Something Civics. “National Run For Office Day is more important than ever to ensure government works for everyone, not just those with power and influence.”

By any possible measurement, the U.S. government is not reflective of the American people. Gaps exist when it comes to race, age, identifying as LGBTQIA+ and more:

• The median age among Americans is 38 years old, yet the average age in the U.S. Senate is 63.
• Only 20% of people in state legislatures are under 45.
• The majority of school board members are over 55.
• Thirty of the 50 U.S. governors are 60 or older, and the average U.S. mayor of a major city is 58.
• Among state legislators, only 33% are women, 10.5% are Black, 6% are Latino and 4% are Asian/Pacific Islander.
• Nationwide, only 0.2% of elected officials publicly identify as LGBTQIA+.

While many polls point out that young people have lower enthusiasm around the 2024 elections, a study from IGNITE found that about 70% of Gen Z women and non-binary people would be more likely to vote if there were more women, people of color, young people and people who speak to the issues they care about on the ballot. Gen Z men are looking for younger candidates that speak to the issues they care about.

Members of the media interested in learning more about National Run For Office Day should contact press@civicnation.org. Learn more at runforofficeday.com.