Populists

The Populists were one of two powerful, yet unofficial, political factions that had formed in the Galactic Senate of the New Republic over the two decades following the founding of that regime. They believed that individual member planets should retain their full sovereignty, while the Centrists favored a stronger galactic government and a larger military. Leia Organa Solo, former hero of the Alliance to Restore the Republic and veteran of the Galactic Civil War, was a Populist.

At some point, the tension between the two factions threatened to cripple the Senate. The Centrists then called for the election of a "First Senator," a charismatic individual who would bring order to the divided assembly. Organa Solo and the other Populists, however, were wary of the price that they might have to pay for such order.

Appearances

 * Bloodline