Team, it’s been quite a while since I said this: Last week was a pretty good one for Democrats, all things considered.

We needed some wins, and boy, did we get some:

• On Capitol Hill, Senator Cory Booker gave a marathon 25-hour floor speech that obliterated the previous record (set by segregationist senator Strom Thurmond in 1957).


• In Wisconsin, liberal justice Susan Crawford crushed Brad Schimel AND wasted $14.3 million of Elon Musk’s bribery money.

Check out this beautiful margin map from the New York Times — I could stare at this all day.

One commentator called Tuesday’s election “a nightmare night for the Chicagoland Republicans." 

• Over in Naperville, Democratic-backed candidates swept all four city council races in our state’s 4th biggest city!


• In Orland Park, MAGA culture warrior (and my one-time opponent) Keith Pekau lost re-election in the mayoral race by a shocking 15-point margin.


• Residents of Aurora and Evanston elected progressive mayors over the pro-Trump candidates in both races.


• Historically-red Escambia County flipped blue in the FL-01 special election — the first time in 19 years!


• Not last week, but deserves an honorable mention: Democrat James Malone flipped a Trump +15 State Senate district in Pennsylvania.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief on Wednesday morning. Now for the hard part: keeping up this energy for the long haul.

To that end, I’ll soon be hosting a series of town halls in the deepest-red communities in Illinois — places where Republicans are currently ignoring their constituents.

Your contributions will directly fund these tough (but essential) conversations. Will you chip in $10 or $25 to help me capitalize on our momentum here in Illinois and across the country?

There’s a light emerging at the end of the tunnel. If you believe in freedom, democracy, and truth, let’s stick together.

— Sean Casten