About Us

We Back the Leaders Who Already Answered the Call

Most of politics is looking for candidates. We're looking for leaders.

They're veterans, teachers, first responders — people who came up through the military, AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, through classrooms and platoons, fire stations and federal courtrooms. Different paths, one thing in common: they gave years to something larger than themselves before they ever thought about running.

We believe the people who should lead us are the ones who already have — who put on the uniform, worked the frontlines of their communities, and gave years to a cause larger than self.

Leadership is something you demonstrate before you ever ask for a vote. For too long, our politics has drifted from that standard — and made it hard for people with the right character and values to run and win.

We've spent more than a decade proving there's another way — backing servant leaders from their first races to the offices they hold today.

Because this was never about a single race, or a map of wins. It's about reestablishing a culture in our politics that puts service at the center — and that starts with who runs, and who wins. A decade in, the work comes down to a mission and a vision.

Help Courageous Servant Leaders
Become Transformative Political Leaders

We do this by finding, advising, and electing those who already served their communities and country and helping them serve again — this time through politics.

One day, every elected official asks: "What's best for my community and country?" before making a decision or taking a vote

Rather than prioritizing personal goals like retaining power, avoiding criticism, or appeasing interest groups, we envision a political system that is led by people focused on service to a cause larger than self, not power to a select few.

What We Look For

Our Criteria for Great Leaders

They come up through service — the military, the classroom, the firehouse, the frontlines of their communities. But a service record alone isn't what we're after. For us, it comes down to three things.

01

MISSION

Service over self. They've given years to something larger than their own ambition, and they carry that same purpose into why they run.

02

CHARACTER

Integrity, courage, and empathy, proven under real pressure. The kind of judgment you only earn by being tested.

03

AGENCY

A relentless drive to get things done. They don't wait for permission or perfect conditions — they move toward the problem and bring people with them.

Since 2014

Our Impact

Over more than a decade, we've backed hundreds of campaigns — and the leaders we found before anyone was watching now serve at every level, from city halls and statehouses to Congress and governors' mansions. Leaders with a record of service keep winning races the political world wrote off.

Incumbent
New Jersey
Governor

Mikie
Sherrill

U.S. Navy veteran & former congresswoman (NJ-11)

MikieSherrill

Candidate
U.S. Senate
Texas

James
Talarico

Americorps alum & current TX State Representative District 50

JamesTalarico

Incumbent
U.S. House
New York's 18th district

Pat
Ryan

U.S. Army veteran & former Ulster County Executive New Politics Academy alum

PatRyan

Incumbent
U.S. Senate
Michigan

Elissa
Slotkin

Former Central Intelligence Agency analyst & congresswoman (MI-07)

ElissaSlotkin

Candidate
Wisconsin
Governor

David
Crowley

Americorps alum & current Milwaukee County Executive

DavidCrowley

Incumbent
Virginia
Governor

Abigail
Spanberger

Former Central Intelligence Agency officer & congresswoman (VA-07)

AbigailSpanberger

See the full impact
See the full impact

"New Politics saw something in me before I saw it in myself. They don't just help you win a race — they help you become the leader the job actually needs."

Gov. Mikie Sherrill · New Jersey

"They knocked doors with me in 2018, before anyone thought this seat was possible. They never stopped showing up."

James Talarico · Texas House

"I lost my first race. New Politics stayed. Everything that came after started with that."

Pat Ryan · U.S. House, New York

"They backed me when the political world said this office wasn't winnable for someone like me."

David Crowley · County Executive, Wisconsin
Go Deeper

More About New Politics

This was never only about winning races. It's about returning politics to servant leadership — and we've never been more convinced the leaders we need are out there. However you came to New Politics, here's where to look next.

Our History

Where this started: the fracture in our politics, and the bet Emily Cherniack made in 2013 to fix it.

Read the story

What We Do

How the work runs: we find leaders early, help them launch, and stay with them — school board to the U.S. Capitol.

See the Work

Impact

Whether it works: ten years of results, cycle by cycle, and the races behind the numbers.

See the Impact

News

What the press is saying, and news from the leaders we back.

See the Latest News