As the organization that has led the work of getting progressives into Congress through primary challenges, we know that one of the most important progressive fights of this campaign cycle is protecting the incumbents we all worked so hard to elect.

The right is banking on our underestimating their deep pockets and power. We cannot blink. We must be unflinching about what we are facing and put serious and substantial resources behind protecting the progress we have built.

Expanding our ranks to 20 or 30 members of unwavering progressives in Congress is possible if we protect the infrastructure we have already built.

When, at the end of this cycle, our most crucial progressive voters, supporters, and the press ask us “What happened?,” we should be able to tell them we worked together to protect each other and what we’ve built together over the last five years.

The alternative is a new class of right-wing-funded corporate Democrats representing the bluest corners of our country. And we already have enough of those.