Everybody seems to agree that the Democratic Party needs new leaders and has to get younger people more involved. But that’s a lot easier said than done.
The Next 50 is one group that’s taking on that challenge and its Executive Director, Mari Manoogian, is bringing her personal experience to the job. She’s a Millennial who ran for a competitive Michigan House seat in 2018 — and won. And now she wants to build a bench of next-generation Democratic leaders who can actually win battleground races, whether it’s for mayor or Congress.
The group is endorsing 50 candidates for the 2026 cycle “who are looking to bring the Democratic Party out of the wilderness,” Mari tells Lincoln Square Executive Editor Susan J. Demas.
While there are fierce debates within the party over ideology, Mari says that the real issue is the “Fight vs. No Fight” problem in the Democratic Party. In other words, the dividing line is between Democrats who will actually fight for working families and against the Trump Administration vs. those who just go through the motions. Voters know when politicians aren’t being real and authentic.
“The things that are common among all of our candidates is that they imbue the values of their district. They understand their community. They understand their voters. And they're able to speak to the issues that matter most to them,” she says.
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