Garry Tan launched Garry's List in February 2026 as a curated membership community to scale SF's recall-era playbook statewide. Three months later, it had shipped a Civic Impact Awards program with hundreds of nominations and a community-voted ballot — testing whether a 'citizen's union for radical centrism' can turn ad-hoc wins into permanent infrastructure before the June 2 primary.
Read Top Post →Three months after launch, Garry’s List opened nominations for its first Civic Impact Awards — recognizing California’s political micro-influencers across ten categories ahead of the June 2 primary. The move shifted the platform from community-building to content curation, asking members to name the creators, journalists, and tool-builders they actually trust. Nominations came via email and X, with the community itself serving as judges.
May 11, 2026 · 7 min
Same day as the manifesto, Garry’s List announced a March 4 invite-only launch party in Mountain View — signaling the community would extend beyond SF into the South Bay from day one. The framing was explicit: this is a recruiting event for November 2026. Apply-to-join, real-names-only, with “very special guests” from California civic leadership. The target audience: self-described radical centrists who want outcomes over theater.
Feb 11, 2026 · 3 min
Garry Tan announced Garry’s List as a curated membership community built to turn SF’s improvised recall wins — the DA recall, the school board recall, the mayoral race — into repeatable civic infrastructure. The pitch: sourced explainers, vetted membership, and accountability tracking for elected officials who break promises. Built with Claude Code on nights and weekends, staffed by three people. The explicit bet is that California sets the national template.
Feb 11, 2026 · 2 min
