Dear Friend,
After such a long and exhausting election season, we needed to pause and sit with this reality for a moment before reaching out. For all of us who poured our hearts into this fight—canvassing, phone-banking, and advocating tirelessly—this is a tough outcome, and it’s okay to feel the weight of that deeply. We’ve taken a week to breathe and reflect on what we’ve accomplished, and today, we want to thank you for every ounce of energy, resilience, and heart you put into this work.
Even in the face of this difficult outcome on the national level, we couldn’t be prouder of the incredible work we’ve accomplished together in Maryland, from electing the first Black Woman U.S. Senator to winning local victories too.
In Baltimore, we successfully rallied against Question H, protecting the strength and representation of the City Council, and helped elect progressive leaders like Mayor Brandon Scott and endorsed councilmembers committed to a better future for Baltimore.
In Prince George’s County, our work to support progressive School Board candidates paid off, electing leaders like Tiffany Andorful, Phelton Moss, and Shayla Adams-Stafford, who will be champions for our students and families.
And we proudly mobilized to protect reproductive freedom with the passage of Question 1, enshrining the right to abortion and birth control in our state constitution.
These are victories worth celebrating, and none of them would have been possible without your courage and leadership. You showed the true power of this movement, and we are so proud to stand alongside each of you. We may not have won every battle, but we showed the power of people fighting for change and we are not stopping now.
We know you may be feeling a wave of emotions—anger, anxiety, sadness, and uncertainty about what’s ahead. We share those feelings. The reality of what’s coming with the Second Trump Administration is sobering, and we need to give ourselves a moment to process it. But we are clear-eyed about what’s next: we have to protect our state from policies that threaten our communities and work harder than ever to safeguard our democracy.
The work we started doesn’t end here. Our fight continues. We need each of you to stay strong, keep your heads up, and lean on the community that’s right here with you. Lean on us as we stand ready to move forward, together.
With gratitude and solidarity,
Larry Stafford, Jr.
Executive Director of Progressive Maryland
