Cenk Uygur facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cenk Uygur
Uygur speaking at AmericaFest 2024
Born	Cenk Kadir Uygur (1970-03-21) March 21, 1970 (age 55) Istanbul, Turkey
Education	University of Pennsylvania (BS) Columbia University (JD)
Occupation	Political commentator media host attorney businessman
Political party	Democratic (since 2007)
Spouse(s)	Wendy Lang
Children	2
Relatives	Hasan Piker (nephew)

Cenk Kadir Uygur (born March 21, 1970) is a well-known Turkish-American political commentator and media host. He is best known as the co-creator of The Young Turks (TYT), a popular online news and commentary show. The show focuses on progressive and left-leaning ideas.

Uygur started his career as an attorney. He launched The Young Turks in 2002. Later, he worked briefly for MSNBC as a political commentator. From 2011 to 2013, he also had a show on Current TV. In 2017, he helped start Justice Democrats, a group that supports progressive politicians.

In 2020, Uygur ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in California. His campaign faced some challenges because of past comments he had made. Some people found these comments offensive, but he said they were taken out of context. He did not win either election. In 2023, he announced he would run for president in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries. He later ended his campaign in March 2024.

Early Life and Education

Cenk Uygur was born in Istanbul, Turkey. When he was eight years old, his family moved to the United States. He grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey, and went to East Brunswick High School. He was raised in a non-religious Muslim home. While in college, he became more religious for a time. Later, he became agnostic, meaning he isn't sure if God exists, but he still identifies as a cultural Muslim.

Uygur graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. He studied management there. He also earned a law degree from Columbia Law School. During his time in college, he wrote some articles that he later said he regretted. He mentioned that these early writings were "insensitive and ignorant."

Career Highlights

Starting His Media Journey

After law school, Uygur worked as an attorney for a short time. He then began his broadcasting career by buying time on a local TV channel in Washington, D.C. There, he hosted a political commentary show called The Young Turk. He also worked as a radio host in Washington, D.C., and Boston. Later, he started The Young Turks on Sirius Satellite Radio. In the 2000s, he also wrote a weekly blog for The Huffington Post.

The Young Turks Show

Uygur in 2010

Uygur created The Young Turks (TYT) to be a left-leaning and progressive talk show. It first aired on Sirius Satellite Radio in 2002. It was also on the Air America radio network for a few years. Uygur and his co-host, Ana Kasparian, used a populist approach. This helped TYT become a large online news organization.

Some people have criticized the show's name. The original Young Turks was a political group in the Ottoman Empire. This group was involved in the Armenian genocide. Critics say that naming the show after them is troubling.

The Young Turks started a daily news video show on YouTube in 2005. They claim to be one of the first news shows on the platform. Uygur often says that TYT is the biggest online news show in the world. It has over 5 billion views and more than 5 million subscribers on YouTube. TYT has grown into a network of channels and shows. You can watch it daily on its website, YouTube, and other streaming platforms. It is also available as a podcast.

In 2011, TYT had a weeknight TV show on Current TV. This show ran until August 2013. In 2018, The Young Turks launched its own 24-hour channel on YouTube TV. Uygur also hired his nephew, Hasan Piker, to work for the show.

Working at MSNBC

MSNBC hired Uygur as a contributor in 2010. In 2011, he became the host of a new prime-time show called MSNBC Live. He hosted this show for six months.

However, MSNBC management felt his "aggressive style" did not fit their brand. Uygur said they wanted him to change his way of speaking. They disagreed on the style of communication. Uygur decided to leave MSNBC and focus on The Young Turks. He became less trusting of traditional media over time.

Wolf-PAC: Ending Corporate Money in Politics

Uygur speaking at the People's Climate March in Washington, D.C. in April 2017

Uygur believes that corporate money should not influence politics. He thinks that "campaign finance reform" is the most important issue in the U.S. In 2011, he started a group called Wolf-PAC. This group aims to change the U.S. Constitution. They want to end corporate personhood (the idea that corporations have the same rights as people). They also want public funding for all elections. Wolf-PAC works to get states to call for a special convention to make these changes.

Justice Democrats: Supporting Progressive Candidates

In 2017, Uygur co-founded Justice Democrats with Kyle Kulinski. This group wants to move the Democratic Party in a more social democratic or democratic socialist direction. They support progressive candidates in elections. They often challenge more moderate Democrats.

Uygur left Justice Democrats in December 2017. This happened after some of his old blog posts from the early 2000s were found. The group's leaders described these posts as "sexist and racist." Uygur apologized for the posts. He said they were "insensitive and ignorant" and that he had changed since then. He explained he wrote them when he was younger and still a conservative.

Rebellion PAC

In 2020, Uygur also helped create Rebellion PAC. This group focuses on running ads to support progressive candidates in elections.

Political Campaigns

Running for Congress in 2020

Uygur with Bernie Sanders at a campaign rally in California in 2016

In late 2019, Uygur decided to run for Congress in California. He ran in two primary elections in March 2020. He quickly raised a lot of money from small donations.

Uygur ran as a left-wing candidate. He supported ideas like single-payer healthcare and raising the minimum wage. He also wanted to get money out of politics.

Initially, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders supported Uygur's campaign. However, Sanders withdrew his support after learning about Uygur's past comments. Other politicians also withdrew their endorsements. Some people criticized Uygur for his past statements about women and minority groups. Uygur said there was a campaign against him by the media.

Uygur lost both elections. He received 6% and 7% of the vote.

2024 Presidential Campaign

Cenk Uygur
Campaign	2024 United States presidential election (Democratic Party primaries)
Candidate	Cenk Uygur
Status	Suspended
Announced	October 11, 2023
Suspended	March 6, 2024

In October 2023, Uygur announced he would run for president in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries. He said he wanted to encourage other Democrats to challenge President Joe Biden. Uygur believed Biden was too old to win the election.

However, Uygur faced a big challenge: he is not a "natural-born U.S. citizen." The U.S. Constitution requires the president to be born a U.S. citizen. Uygur became a citizen later in life. He argued that courts might change this rule, but many experts disagreed.

Because of this rule, Uygur was not allowed on the ballot in many states. He tried to sue to get on the ballot but was unsuccessful. He ended his presidential campaign on March 6, 2024.

Political Beliefs

Cenk Uygur used to be a Republican. However, he now strongly dislikes the Republican Party. He also criticizes the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party. He believes the Democratic Party needs to become more focused on the needs of everyday people.

Uygur's political views slowly changed. He says the decision to invade Iraq was a key moment in his shift away from conservative politics. As a progressive, he often criticizes both Democratic and Republican politicians. He believes many are too influenced by wealthy donors.

He supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. After the 2024 election, Uygur expressed disappointment with the Democratic Party. He feels they have moved away from populist ideas.

Awards

In 2010, Cenk Uygur received the "Emperor Has No Clothes Award" from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. He also received the Humanist Media Award from the American Humanist Association.

Personal Life

Cenk Uygur is Turkish-American and speaks both Turkish and English fluently. He is married to Wendy Lang, who is a marriage and family therapist. They have two children together.

Images for kids

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  Cenk Uygur's campaign logo for his 2024 presidential bid.