Dear Friend,

This isn’t the outcome we wanted or worked for. 

Despite millions of voters reached through LCV Victory Fund’s efforts, and tens of millions of voters turning out for Vice President Harris, this presidential election result is what we fought tirelessly against.

We are devastated and shaken, not because we were caught off guard, but because, this time, we already know how bad things can get with Donald Trump in the White House.

Many of us will need to take time to mourn this loss, but I urge you not to give up or lose hope. We are fiercely committed to defending people and the planet, and we know how to fight back against what is coming. While there are still many races yet to be called, we’ve had several critical wins in the Senate, U.S. House, and at the state level that make me believe we can find ways forward for our climate and democracy.

At moments like this we have a choice: We can let hopelessness sink in, or we can recommit to defending and protecting all of the progress we have made.

The threats posed by another Trump administration will impact everyone, especially the most marginalized among us. We must continue to push back against Trump’s dark and dangerous agenda, not only for our individual rights and freedoms, but also for the rights of our families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers — and for the sake of future generations’ ability to safely inhabit our planet.

Our number one priority will be to do everything we can to weaken, to delay, and, where possible, to stop Trump’s anti-environment and anti-democracy agenda. Though we also lost pro-environment leadership in the Senate, we are still keeping an eye on control of the U.S. House. Whatever the outcome, we will be leaning hard on our allies in Congress and in the states to defend against Trump’s dangerous and harmful policies. But to succeed, we will need to stay engaged, work together, and advocate tirelessly across the country.

This time, we are prepared for what’s ahead, and what we’ll need to do to protect people and the planet. We’ve been developing a plan to work in four key areas: streets, suites, courts, and states.

• We’ll mobilize in the streets, organizing supporters to speak out and working with coalition partners to show that the public opposes efforts to roll back climate progress, harm vulnerable communities, and dismantle democracy.
• We’ll talk to the suites, running powerful campaigns to educate and organize communities to demand accountability from those in power and push back against harmful actions that threaten people and our environment.
• We’ll affect the courts, blocking anti-environment and anti-democracy federal judges from confirmation and pushing for judicial ethics reforms.
• And, as we did in 2017, we’ll double down on our work in the states to continue climate progress and protect democracy and voting rights.

LCV and our 30+ state affiliates have already been doing much of this work. Our movement’s collective efforts since 2017 are why, today, more than 40% of people in the U.S. live in a city, county, or state that is committed to achieving 100% clean energy. In the last two years alone, we have secured more than 225 democracy-related policy wins by advancing and defending voting rights in state legislatures, governors’ offices, and with secretaries of state.

This loss is staggering, and how we respond to it will require resilience. In the days ahead, we must recommit to this work like never before because the sacrifices of those who came before us must be honored, and the futures of those who come after us must be protected.

Our work in 2025 and beyond is only beginning. We’re steeling ourselves for what comes next, and we need you with us as we mount a collective resistance to defend our freedoms, our communities, our democracy, and our planet in the months and years ahead. 

It is true that the long arc of history bends towards justice — but only if we continue to push it in that direction. There is so much more each of us can do, and we are strongest when we do it together. LCV will continue to show up, speak out, and fight for everyone to have a safe, just, and equitable future.

I hope you’ll remain steadfast alongside us.

Onward,

Gene Karpinski
President, League of Conservation Voters