Supporting the next generation of political leaders 🗳️
Through Next Up Action Fund, we organize an endorsement committee each election cycle to determine and announce our support for candidates around our communities. Our committee makes its final decisions after diligent research, questionnaires, and identifying which candidates amplify young people’s priorities.
apply for an endorsement!
Calling all candidates… Next Up Action Fund’s 2026 endorsements are open! We’re ready to hear why you’re excited to run, how you align with our values, and your election plans.
(Be sure to read our guidelines and submit an application through Switchboard before starting the endorsement process.)
candidates endorsed
115
CANDIDATES ELECTED
86
VOTERS contacted
88,000
why our endorsement matters
Our work goes further when aligned decision-makers are in our corner.
Young people deserve to have their priorities represented and championed by our elected leaders.
Next Up Action Fund is a powerhouse youth voter turnout organization. Since 2020 we have mobilized tens of thousands of Oregonians to elect values-aligned candidates that advance racial, gender, and economic justice.
candidate highlight
In 2020, Next Up Action Fund recruited Wlnsvey Campos to run for HD 28, becoming the youngest House Representative ever in Oregon and now the youngest Senator. In that same year, we worked to elect Ricki Ruiz and Khanh Pham to the House through direct voter outreach.
2020: Rep. Wlnsvey Campos - we did 100% of the texts and 33% of the calls
2020: Rep. Ricki Ruiz - we did 59% of the texts and 51% of the calls
NEXT UP action fund’S ENDORSEMENT HISTORY
In 2020’s primary election, Next Up Action Fund began convening an endorsement committee that included board members, students, and volunteers currently involved with the organization. Since then, we have assembled a paid endorsement committee of our base and board members each election season, with recommendations made by the committee that are always approved by our Next Up Action Fund Board of Directors and guided by our organization’s values.
To engage and educate voters, Next Up Action Fund also endorses ballot measures, with decisions to endorse being made by our staff, board, and endorsement committees. We support ballot measures that advocate for and create material changes for the most impacted people in our communities, in addition to measures that increase access to democracy across the state.
Candidates we look for
Aligned Goals & Vision
Under 35
Black
Indigenous
Asian
Pacific Islander
Latine
Lgbtq2sia+
Disabled
Women
Low-Income
Immigrants and refugees
Our Guidelines
Each election season, we publish an endorsement questionnaire that candidates are welcome to complete.
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Next Up Action Fund will only endorse in races that will directly impact our base, including campaigns at all levels of state and local government, from school boards to statewide offices. We are currently only considering endorsements in the following geographic regions: Multnomah County, Clackamas County, Washington County, and Marion County. We may proactively decide to engage with candidates who meet these criteria.
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Next Up Action Fund has a goal of supporting young Oregonians to be leaders in their community. Therefore, we are prioritizing candidates who are aligned with our values and who are under 35 years old. We are also prioritizing candidates who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color, LGBTQIA+, people living with disabilities, women, people that are low income, and people from underserved communities regardless of age.
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Next Up Action Fund will make our endorsement process public on our website and social media and will share it with partners, but we will not proactively send it out to all candidates.
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Next Up Action Fund reserves the right to not endorse in any race because we are using our Mission, Vision, and Values to guide us toward any endorsements. We may decline to endorse in some races entirely.
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Next Up Action Fund will stand behind candidates who are there for us, whether we have checkbooks or not. We believe in the power of our endorsement. However, we cannot guarantee any political contributions at this time. We are potentially able to offer other kinds of support but cannot guarantee it with an endorsement.
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Next Up Action Fund strives to be equal, accessible, and open in its endorsement process to all candidates who are serious about pursuing goals in alignment with Next Up’s mission, vision, and values.
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An endorsement means you share a similar vision and values as Next Up’s base. If an elected candidate is not able to align their advocacy, voting record, or efforts with what they expressed in seeking the organization’s support, we will rescind our endorsement for the elected official.