Olivia Julianna

Olivia Julianna Herrera (/ˌxuːliˈɑːnə/; born November 17, 2002^[1]) is an American political activist, abortion rights advocate, and political strategist from Texas. She was formerly the director of politics and government affairs for Gen-Z for Change, a nonprofit organization focused on civic engagement among Generation Z. Herrera has maintained a significant social media presence to encourage civic participation, especially on issues such as abortion rights, climate change, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. She was named one of the 50 Most Influential People of 2022 by Bloomberg Media.

Herrera was born and raised in Texas and resides in Houston.^[2] For safety reasons, she publicly uses her first and middle names.^[3] She identifies as a "queer, plus-size, disabled Latina" and is a fourth-generation Texan of Mexican-American descent.^[4] She is a first-generation college student attending the Texas A&M University–Victoria, where she majors in political science.^[5]

Herrera began posting political content during the 2020 United States presidential election.^[4] She gained widespread attention in 2021 when she encouraged people to submit false reports to a Texas Right to Life whistleblower site that enabled anonymous reporting of abortions under the Texas Heartbeat Act. The site was overwhelmed and eventually taken down.^[6]

In July 2022, Representative Matt Gaetz mocked Herrera’s appearance during remarks at a Turning Point USA summit.^[7] In response, she launched a fundraising campaign that raised over $2 million for abortion funds across the country.^[8]

Herrera joined Gen-Z for Change in 2021 and was named Director of Politics and Government Affairs in October 2022.^[4] She helped oversee political strategy and youth civic campaigns. She left the organization in August 2023.^[9]

During the 2024 presidential cycle, Herrera mobilized Gen-Z voters in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, appearing in national media and at the Democratic National Convention.^[10][11] In February 2025, she announced that she would step back from formal campaign organizing to focus on systemic issues within the Democratic Party and speak more freely as an outside voice.^[12] She launched a newsletter and continues to write and comment on progressive politics and youth engagement.

According to Wired Magazine, Herrera is a member of the Chorus Creator Incubator Program, a subsidiary of the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a dark money group which provides a stipend to political online influencers to promote pro-Democratic party messaging.^[13]

In December 2022, Bloomberg Media named Herrera one of the 50 Most Influential People in the world.^[5] She also attended the 2023 State of the Union Address as a guest of Representative Nanette Barragán and confronted Rep. Gaetz at the event.^[14]