John, if you’re still processing what the next few weeks, months, or years will mean for our democracy – I know I am too – I’m writing to let you know how Common Cause plans to move forward.  

This is a defining moment for our country, and it’s understandable to feel scared, or down, or just exhausted right now. Thousands of people across our community put in long hours to protect every voter’s rights – because we all knew how high the stakes would be.

While we respect the will of the voters, we must also face the fact that Trump’s actions and promises threaten the core principles of our democracy.

His commitments to dismantle the Department of Education, deport millions, and disregard the rule of law signal an agenda that undermines our democratic foundations. As Maya Angelou wisely reminds us, when people show you who they are, believe them the first time.  

So let’s be clear: we must immediately ready ourselves to face many of the anti-democracy promises he made in his Project 2025 revenge agenda – cracking down on his political opponents, installing partisan loyalists at every level of government, and rolling back our rights and liberties.

John, starting today, Common Cause’s mission has never been more important than it is right now. We will not waver. We will oppose any actions that seek to erode our democratic values, mobilize our communities to stand guard over our nation’s ideals, and build resilience in the face of these challenges.

During the first Trump administration, you helped us do exactly that. Together, we shut down the Pence-Kobach voter suppression commission, defended the Mueller investigation against partisan attacks, and upheld our right to vote by mail during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We unfortunately must anticipate a repeat of these same anti-democracy tactics – alongside attacks on vulnerable communities: immigrants, women, LGBTQ people, everyone who makes up the multi-racial, 21st century society you and I believe in.

Together, we will remain resilient in the face of this new political reality – and I’ll be counting on your commitment and action. But I’m confident Common Cause members like you are up to the challenge – because in just these past few months, you’ve shown that together, we can do extraordinary things.

And so even if you are personally disappointed by yesterday’s result – as many Americans surely are – please know that the only thing that will carry our nation through this is the extraordinary level of people power that Common Cause members like you have always exhibited.

Remember, much of President-elect Trump’s agenda will require near-unanimous support from his party in Congress to implement – including from many who have spoken out against some of his worst excesses and paid a considerable political price for doing so.  

The co-equal legislative branch must serve as a check and balance on Trump like never before – and you and I must be the wind at their backs as they do so, pressing them not to stand by in silence and let our democracy be dismantled.

That means defending the bedrock values of our democracy: the rule of law, the right to vote, and the freedom to protest. It means holding any new Supreme Court nominees to the highest possible standard for protecting our democracy.

And it means doubling down on the work we are doing in states across the country to chart a better path forward. This is a call to action for each of us to work towards a democracy that genuinely reflects and represents the diversity of voices across America.

We’re ready to do what’s necessary to protect the values we all share – can you please show you’re with us with an emergency contribution today?

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We call on every American who believes in a democracy that serves all of us to join this effort. We are prepared to defend our democracy – our courts, our schools, our communities – because our future depends on it.

John, American democracy must – and will – survive for the next generation. I’m confident we’re up to the challenge.

In Common Cause,

Virginia Kase Solomón, President and CEO
and the team at Common Cause