Dear John,


Sitting in a hotel coffee shop on a rainy day in Austin, Texas nearly four years ago, one-time Obama 2008 super volunteer Angus Durocher and I contemplated how to take the explosive growth and reach of The Lincoln Project (of which I’m a co-founder) and apply it to grassroots campaigning.


The idea was predicated on three ideas. First, that independent organizations, truly outside groups, could marshal support and operate as effectively, if not more so, than groups hogtied to one political party or another. Not having a party, a candidate or campaign to answer to, created a freedom of movement and action that the hidebound party system didn’t like or allow for.


Second, that defeating Trumpism and defending American democracy would take a diverse, energetic coalition of like-minded people and groups that understood that in the fight for the American dream, we didn’t need to agree on everything, we just need to agree on one thing: That democracy was a big and valuable enough for us to lock arms and march forward together.


Third, we’ll work with anyone who wants to work with us.


Out of that cup of coffee sprung The Union (jointheunion.us) an independent, pro-democracy coalition. Starting with nothing more than a website, The Union now comprises tens of thousands of individual Americans from across party, ideological, and demographic lines.


We’ve grown to include more than 100 partner organizations, offering nearly 2,000 volunteer opportunities across the country, in individual states, up and down the ballot. Union leaders have built individual, bespoke political units that cover key Electoral College states, track important information and political intelligence, and ensure their partners have the bodies they need for voter registration phone banks, text operations, postcarding efforts, and door-to-door canvassing.

I’ve seen The Union and our partners in action across the country in states such as Nevada, Arizona, and Georgia. We were heavily involved in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race in 2023 and are focused on races from school board to President this year.


Many of our partners are small but mighty. They’re often understaffed and under-resourced, but they gut up every day and do the best they can with what they have. And each of them punches well above their weight. This is truly democracy in action.


Just as our partners and our volunteers represent the breadth of the political spectrum, so does the nature of The Union’s work this fall. We will engage our partners to ensure that any available pro-democracy voter that can show up, will do so. We will also focus onsoft Republicans and conservative-leaning independents—asking them to put country above party as many of them did in 2020 and 2022—and help us elect pro-democracy candidates.


The Union’s efforts offer Americans interested in helping defend and expand American democracy, have a place to do so with like-minded patriots.


That’s why today we’re asking for your help, your financial help, to ensure that The Union has all the tools and resources it needs to accomplish our crucial mission this year.


We punch above our weight, we’re as efficient as any organization in the field, and we’re dedicated to the cause of American democracy. I hope you’ll join us.


Reed


Join The Union is a single-issue, pro-democracy coalition of grassroots volunteers and partner organizations working to save our country from the autocratic agenda of MAGA extremists. We’re citizens from all walks of life and all political views. We’ve put our differences aside to work together for this common goal. Join us!