Faiz Shakir is a progressive political strategist known for blending campaign organizing with digital storytelling. After years shaping messaging at the Center for American Progress and advising Senate Democrats, he became national political director at the American Civil Liberties Union, where he coordinated litigation, lobbying, and grassroots mobilization against Trump-era policies.

Bernie Sanders Campaign Leadership

Shakir joined Senator Bernie Sanders in 2019 to run the Vermont senator’s second presidential campaign. He oversaw a staff of more than 1,000 organizers, integrated relational organizing technology with traditional field operations, and maintained a small-dollar fundraising program that shattered Democratic primary records. Under his leadership the campaign leaned on multilingual digital content, livestreamed town halls, and volunteer-driven media to keep the candidate’s message in circulation despite limited mainstream airtime.

The Sanders operation also experimented with distributed organizing tactics such as the Bern App and peer-to-peer texting programs, innovations that shaped progressive campaign infrastructure in subsequent election cycles.

Building More Perfect Union

Following the 2020 campaign, Shakir launched More Perfect Union Action and the More Perfect Union media brand to continue pro-worker storytelling outside the electoral calendar. He recruited veteran campaign staffers, union organizers, and documentary producers to cover labor fights, applying the rapid-response approach honed on the campaign trail.

Shakir remains the public face of the organization, appearing on cable news and podcasts to advocate for collective bargaining rights, antitrust enforcement, and industrial policy geared toward workers. His media appearances reinforce the outlet’s mission while bridging campaign-style organizing with investigative storytelling.