Kulinski and Uygur are no longer part of the group, later criticizing it for falling short in cultivating a unified cohort of legislators able to champion priority bills.[14]Alexandra Rojas became the organization's executive director in May 2018.[15]
The group endorsed considerably fewer candidates in 2020 than in 2018, a move its communications director defended as a strategy to focus its resources on the most promising candidates.[17][18]Jamaal Bowman,Cori Bush, andMarie Newman were elected to theU.S. House of Representatives in 2020.
In 2022,Greg Casar andSummer Lee were elected to the House, while Newman lost her reelection in the Democratic primary after facing an investigation by the House Ethics Committee.[19] In 2024,Delia Ramirez was endorsed by and joined Justice Democrats.[20]
After the 2016 presidential election resulted in a victory forDonald Trump, many progressives pointed to the perceived loyalty of politicians to large donors as a major contributing factor toHillary Clinton'sloss to Trump. These critics contend that a campaign finance model similar to that ofBernie Sanders, whose 2016 presidential campaign was funded by small individual donations, will increase public trust in politicians through increased accountability to their constituents.[citation needed]
On January 23, 2017, Cenk Uygur and Kyle Kulinski founded Justice Democrats with ten others, including former staffers from the Sanders campaign such as its Director of Organizing Technology, Saikat Chakrabarti, andMoveOn.org fundraiserZack Exley.[21][22][23] According to the organization, it seeks to create a left-wing populist movement to support alternative Democratic candidates beginning with the 2018 midterm elections, in order to either defeat the incumbent Democrats or make them more accountable to their constituents. It requires its candidates to take a pledge to refuse financial contributions from billionaires and corporations.[12] In addition, it hoped to rebuild the Democratic Party on a national level and defeat Trump in the2020 presidential election.
The Democrats used to represent something wonderful – voters. We want you to represent just us, not your donors... [and stand for] justice for the people
— Cenk Uygur explaining the name of the group[11][24]
On March 20, 2017, Justice Democrats reported that they had received 8,300 nominations and raised $1 million (~$1.25 million in 2024).[25] Also in March 2017, it teamed up withBrand New Congress, a PAC established by former Sanders campaign supporters, to further their goals.[23] By November 1, 2017, they had merged with fellow progressive groupAllOfUs.[26][27]
During the 2018 elections, Justice Democrats ran 79 progressive candidates against Democrats, Republicans and Independents in local, state, and federal elections.[16] 26 of them advanced past the primary stage. All Justice Democrat candidates running for office were endorsed byThe Young Turks, who provided them with a media platform on their interview showRebel HQ.[30] The seven Justice Democrats candidates who won their electoral congressional races in 2018 wereAyanna Pressley,Rashida Tlaib,Ilhan Omar,Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the three sitting members. All seven won districts already held by Democrats.[citation needed]
On December 22, 2017, it was announced that Uygur had resigned from the organization, after the revelation of previously deleted but archived controversial blog posts he had written.[41] The next day, Kulinski announced that he had stepped down from the organization as he disagreed with staff members who pressed for Uygur's dismissal. He said his decision came as a result of a personal dilemma as he saw the posts in question upon rereading them as satirical. Kulinski noted that the decision to ask for Uygur's resignation came from Justice Democrat staff, not the candidates, and asked his supporters to continue backing the organization's candidates.[42]
In mid-November 2019, Uygur filed to run for Congress inCalifornia's 25th district, a seat recently vacated by the resignation ofKatie Hill.[43][44][45] Uygur stated he would not run as a member of the Justice Democrats.
A central priority of Justice Democrats is to effectively eliminate the role of money and conflicts of interests in politics. As such, any candidate running with Justice Democrats must pledge to refuse donations from corporate PACs and lobbyists.[46] Declining money from corporate PACs and supportingMedicare for All have both been described aslitmus tests for the organization.[47] Justice Democrats supportspublicly funded elections, banning Super PACs, and banning private donations to politicians and campaigns. It also advocates for the reinstatement of provisions of theVoting Rights Act of 1965 and a ban ongerrymandering for partisan gain. Several members have voiced support for a constitutional amendment to remove money from American politics.[48]
To accompany its launch, Kulinski and Uygur published the following set ofprogressive founding principles for the coalition.[49] Adjustments have been made since 2017, resulting in a slightly different platform appearing on the Justice Democrats webpage at a given time.[50]
Ending the practice ofunilaterally waging war, except as a last resort to defend U.S. territory
Ending thewar on drugs in favor of legalization, regulation, and taxation of drugs, and pardoning all non-violent drug offenders and treating all drug addicts
Ensuring free speech on college campuses and supportingnet neutrality
Ensuringuniversal education as a right, including free four-year public college and university education
Reforming police by mandating body cameras, establishing community oversight boards, eliminatingbroken windows policing, ending stop and frisk, and appointing special prosecutors to hold police accountable in courts
Justice Democrats officially endorsed 79 candidates in the 2018 election cycle, seven of whom won general elections (three were incumbents).[55] The four first-time officeholders in the U.S. House make up"The Squad".
Justice Democrats endorsed 17 candidates in the Democratic primaries for president, Senate and House. Twelve House candidates made it to the general election (7 incumbents, 5 newcomers). All the incumbents and three newcomers won.
^Jayapal joined the Justice Democrats in April 2018.
^Ramirez joined the Justice Democrats in January 2024.
^Grijalva joined the Justice Democrats in December 2017.
^Despite losing the primary, Nixon had a slot in the general election as the nominee of theWorking Families Party. On October 3, the Working Families Party offered their party's ballot line to the incumbent governor (and winner of the Democratic primary),Andrew Cuomo, and he accepted on October 5.
^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuCalifornia and Washington use anonpartisan blanket primary system, where all candidates run on one primary ballot, regardless of party affiliation, and the top two finishers advance to the general election.
^Due to a logistical error in his campaign filing, Morgan was unable to appear on the primary ballot. As he was the only Democrat to file to run in this district, he was able to win the primary with write-in votes.
^Special election to replaceJohn Conyers, who resigned on December 5, 2017
^Special election to replacePat Tiberi, who resigned on January 15, 2018
^abcdefghijklmnTexas uses a two-round primary system. If a candidate receives above 50% of the vote in the first round, they become the party's nominee; otherwise, the top two finishers advance to a second round.
^In Utah, a state convention was held on April 21; of the 381 delegates present from the 4th district, McDonald won 25% of the votes andSalt Lake County mayorBen McAdams won 72%. Since McAdams cleared the 60% threshold, he became the party's nominee, with no primary election taking place on June 26.[56][57]
^Special election to replaceMarcia Fudge, who resigned on March 10, 2021
^Grijalva ran in the new 7th district, which was renumbered from the3rd district in redistricting.
^Newman ran in the new 6th district after moving from the4th district and previously representing the3rd district prior to redistricting.
^Talib is running in the new 12th district after moving from the13th district due to redistricting.
^Lee ran in the new 12th district, which was renumbered from the18th district in redistricting.
^Kelly ran in the new 7th district after moving from the5th district due to redistricting.
^Casar ran in the new 37th district, which was renumbered from the35th district in redistricting.
^Trudo, Hanna (August 9, 2023)."Layoffs at Justice Democrats shake progressives". US:The Hill. RetrievedMay 22, 2025.Large-scale layoffs at a top left-wing organization are underscoring progressives' challenges in the Biden era, […]
^115th Congress (2017) (January 24, 2017)."H.R. 676 (115th)".Legislation. GovTrack.us. RetrievedJuly 23, 2017.Expanded & Improved Medicare For All Act{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^115th Congress (2017) (April 4, 2017)."H.R. 1880 (115th)".Legislation. GovTrack.us. RetrievedJuly 23, 2017.College for All Act of 2017{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^115th Congress (2017) (May 25, 2017)."H.R. 15 (115th)".Legislation. GovTrack.us. RetrievedJuly 23, 2017.Raise the Wage Act{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^115th Congress (2017) (January 31, 2017)."H.R. 771 (115th)".Legislation. GovTrack.us. RetrievedJuly 23, 2017.Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act of 2017{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^115th Congress (2017) (July 13, 2017)."H.R. 3227 (115th)".Legislation. GovTrack.us. RetrievedJuly 23, 2017.To improve Federal sentencing and corrections practices, and for other purposes.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^115th Congress (2017) (February 16, 2017)."H.R. 1144 (115th)".Legislation. GovTrack.us. RetrievedJuly 23, 2017.Inclusive Prosperity Act of 2017{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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