Welcome to Endless Urgency

On Monday, I sent out my first Substack about Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis—but I forgot to introduce myself. That was a mistake. Let me fix that.

I’m Mike Nellis. I’ve been a Democratic strategist for two decades. I’ve worked with some of the biggest names in politics—I’m a former Senior Advisor to Kamala Harris, current Senior Advisor to Adam Schiff, and I’ve partnered with great Democrats like Tammy Baldwin, Gretchen Whitmer, Cory Booker, and more.

I’m also a social impact entrepreneur. I build businesses that focus on helping people and supporting the Democratic Party—including Authentic, my award-winning digital marketing and advertising agency.

I’m launching this Substack because I see a Democratic Party that feels rudderless, getting its lunch eaten by Republicans—and I’m tired of it. I’ve named it Endless Urgency because that’s what this moment demands. I want a Democratic Party that fights hard for working families, moves fast, gets shit done, and doesn’t lose its soul while standing up to Trump and everything he represents.

We’ve made mistakes—ones that opened the door for Trump’s return—and I want to be part of the solution. That means calling out what’s broken in the party, reacting in real time to what Republicans are doing, being raw and honest with you about what I’m seeing, and pushing for better ideas and bolder leadership from Democrats.

I’ll also use this space to elevate rising Democratic voices—people I’m working with like Mallory McMorrow, Lauren Underwood, Jake Rakoff, and others. And hopefully, I can build real relationships with many of you—to help you stay informed, inspired, and supported in the work you’re doing to make your communities better, whether that’s running for office, organizing, or just showing up and giving a damn.

I also believe I’ll be a better strategist if I listen to you. Far too many of my colleagues can’t recall the last time they talked with someone outside the D.C. bubble (I live in Chicago, btw). That drives the party toward insular, circular thinking that costs us elections and gets people hurt. I believe this Substack—and your engagement—will make me a better leader in the Democratic Party.

My goal is to keep this Substack free so it reaches as many people as possible. If you like what I’m doing and are able to subscribe to help cover costs, I’d be grateful. Eventually, I’d love to bring someone on to help with the tech side of things and content creation. If not, no worries—I’ll keep showing up and trying to be useful.

Thanks for being in the fight. I appreciate you.