The Populists, alternatively referred to as the populist faction, constituted one of the two dominant political groups within the Galactic Senate of the New Republic. Their core belief centered on the idea that individual member planets should maintain complete autonomy, a stance that contrasted with the opposing Centrists who advocated for a more powerful galactic government and a larger New Republic Defense Force. A prominent Populist was Senator Leia Organa, a celebrated hero of the Alliance to Restore the Republic and a veteran of the Galactic Civil War.
As time passed, the friction between these two factions grew to a point where it threatened to paralyze the Senate. The Centrists then proposed the election of a "First Senator," envisioning a charismatic leader capable of restoring order to the fractured assembly. However, Organa and her fellow Populists harbored concerns about the potential consequences of such a move. Subsequently, Organa emerged as the Populist nominee for First Senator. Nevertheless, the revelation of her lineage as the daughter of Darth Vader led to the Princess's political downfall. Seeking a replacement Populist candidate, Senator Tai-Lin Garr was put forward, who, true to Populist ideals, aimed to secure the position only to diminish its significance. Tragically, before the election could take place, Garr was assassinated by Arliz Hadrassian, the leader of the Amaxine warriors, resulting in an official period of mourning and a postponement of the election.
In general, the Populists espoused a more libertarian philosophy, emphasizing greater individual and planetary independence. They largely believed that almost all individual member worlds within the New Republic should retain their sovereign rights. One segment within the Populist movement desired to extend voting rights on significant decisions made by the New Republic Senate to the general populace. Princess Leia Organa expressed skepticism towards this objective, suggesting that it would likely result in widespread disagreement among trillions of citizens rather than just thousands of senators. Conversely, another faction advocated for dissolving the Senate altogether, thereby granting each world complete sovereignty. The common ground between these two factions lay in their shared opposition to the Centrists and their willingness to support Organa's bid for the role of First Senator. According to the Centrist Senator Ransolm Casterfo's assessment, the Populists relied on a charismatic figure to maintain unity within their faction. With the exception of Organa, most Populist senators were viewed as lenient on matters of law and order. Unlike their Centrist counterparts, Populists tended to view the concept of a strong central government with suspicion, associating it with the oppressive Old Empire.
The Populists emerged as a political force within the New Republic's Galactic Senate sometime after the signing of the Galactic Concordance, which marked the end of the Galactic Civil War. Many of its members had previously been involved in the Alliance to Restore the Republic. By 28 ABY, the Populists had developed an antagonistic relationship with the Centrists, who prioritized law and order and favored a more centralized government. The discord between these two factions led to legislative deadlock in the Galactic Senate and eroded public trust in the New Republic. Many Populists harbored such animosity towards their Centrist rivals that it was considered unusual for a Populist Senator like Leia Organa to collaborate with a Centrist like Senator Casterfo.
Following Organa and Casterfo's joint senatorial mission to investigate Rinnrivin Di's cartel on Bastatha, the Populist Senator Anib Ney of Sullust accused Casterfo of endangering Organa's life. During the same session, the Populists unsuccessfully attempted to block a motion proposed by the Centrist Lady Carise Sindian to establish a new position called "First Senator," which would grant significant economic and military authority over the New Republic. While Lady Carise's arguments failed to sway many senators initially, Casterfo managed to win over the independent senators by highlighting the gridlock within the Senate. Consequently, the Populists were compelled to alter their strategy and nominate Senator Organa as their candidate for First Senator in an effort to prevent the Centrists from seizing control of that office.
Later on, Organa successfully ordered an evacuation of the Senate complex before a [bomb](/article/bomb] detonated, destroying half of the conference building. In the aftermath of the "Napkin Bombing," both the Populist and Centrist factions, along with their respective media outlets, accused each other of orchestrating the bombing to gain political advantage. Due to his friendship with Organa, Casterfo recognized that the Populists would not have jeopardized the life of their own First Senator candidate. In reality, the bombing had been orchestrated by Arliz Hadrassian, a former TIE fighter pilot and the leader of the Amaxine warriors, who sought to disrupt Organa and Casterfo's investigation into Rinnrivin's cartel and her Amaxine warriors. Undeterred, Leia and Casterfo persisted in their investigation and uncovered evidence that a mysterious entity was providing financial support to both Di's cartel and the Amaxine warriors.
Prior to Organa's investigation of the Amaxine base on Sibensko, Lady Carise obtained information regarding her true parentage as the daughter of Darth Vader, a figure widely reviled within the New Republic. During the Senate hearing concerning Organa's candidacy for First Senator, she manipulated Casterfo into revealing this information to the assembled senators. Consequently, Organa's credibility was undermined, and she lost the support of many allies within the Populist faction. The only two Populist senators who defended her were her close friends, Tai-Lin Garr and Varish Vicly. Due to the ensuing political fallout, Organa was compelled to withdraw her candidacy. As a result, Senator Garr assumed Organa's position as the Populist candidate for First Senator.
Following Organa's mission to Sibensko, Hadrassian, acting under Lady Carise's orders, assassinated Tai-Lin Garr while he was addressing a crowd of supporters on Hosnian Prime. Several Populists, including Organa and Vicly, attended his memorial service. Lady Carise then fabricated evidence to implicate Casterfo as Hadrassian's supporter and financier. While many Populists believed in Casterfo's guilt, Organa realized that he was innocent and that Lady Carise had framed him to eliminate both Populists and dissenting Centrists. In response, Organa persuaded the Elder Houses to strip Lady Carise of all her royal titles, thereby reducing her to a commoner. Disheartened by the infighting between the Populist and Centrist factions within the Senate and the perceived complacency of both factions, Organa resigned from her position as Senator and established the Resistance, an organization dedicated to protecting the New Republic.