John,

Last night, history turned a corner — and it had women at the wheel.

Across the nation, voters rejected extremism, embraced equality, and showed the country — and the world — that organizing works and feminist power wins. From Virginia to Pennsylvania to California, the results exceeded every prediction.

It’s official: Abigail Spanberger is now the first woman governor in Virginia’s 236-year history. She’ll bring not only the strength of her convictions but a deep commitment to defending reproductive rights, advancing equality, and governing with women’s lives in full focus.

And what happened in Virginia? It wasn’t just a blue wave. It was a message from women and especially young women. In fact, for young women 18-29, 82% voted for Spanberger.

We had hoped for modest gains. The polls said maintaining a pro-women majority in the House of Delegates would be close. What we got was a sweep.

As dawn broke today, it’s become clear that the new feminist-aligned majority has surged from  51 to at least 64 seats — the largest Democratic majority in decades and just a few seats shy of a supermajority. One more race is too close to call — but even without it, the message is clear: Virginia voters stood up for rights, fairness, and a vision of leadership that puts people first.

And this new majority looks like the movement that helped elect them. Many of the women now headed to Richmond aren’t political insiders — they’re teachers, civil rights lawyers, organizers, and advocates who stepped up because they believe in what this movement fights for every day: justice, access, freedom.

These wins reshape not only Virginia’s future, but the national map. Virginia is now positioned to counter MAGA’s 2026 gerrymandering playbook — with its own fair, pro-democracy redistricting plans. And the power to redraw the map? It now sits with women who’ve lived the fight.

In Pennsylvania, all three Supreme Court justices up for retention — Donohue, Dougherty, and Wecht — were resoundingly re-elected. That locks in a 5–2 pro-choice, pro-ERA majority on the state’s highest court.

This court has already ruled in favor of abortion access for Medicaid recipients and used the Pennsylvania ERA to uphold rights. Now it stands strong against future attacks — on clinics, on voters, on equity itself.

Right-wing dark money groups spent heavily to flip the court. But voters — especially young voters — stood firm. Truth outpaced fear. And justice won.

In New Jersey, feminist power turned possibility into victory. Governor Mikie Sherrill’s win reaffirmed that progress and equality still drive the state’s future.

Voters across the Garden State stood up for reproductive freedom, public education, and equal opportunity — and they delivered. Women, especially young and suburban voters, powered record turnout and helped secure a strong pro-choice, pro-equality majority in Trenton.

This wasn’t just a campaign — it was a movement. And with women leading the way, New Jersey stands as a powerful East Coast firewall for rights, fairness, and democracy.

Proposition 50 is on track to win — and it matters more than headlines suggest.

This ballot initiative temporarily empowers California’s legislature to redraw maps to neutralize extreme partisan gerrymandering efforts launched from Texas. With turnout surging across the state, the message was unmistakable: Californians want fair representation, not power grabs.

This win gives us a national firewall to help protect the House from MAGA manipulation in 2026 — and sends a message to every anti-democracy operative: voters are paying attention.

Our campus organizers didn’t just show up — they made a change.

Across 30 campuses, students moved with urgency and determination. They tabled for hours, engaged with fellow students in special events, registered thousands to vote, and made Election Day feel like a festival of civic power.

These organizers were the difference in close races — especially in the House districts we helped flip. For example, in District 41, Lily Franklin won by just 766 votes. Our organizers were not discouraged. They were convinced Franklin could win and would win. They carried the message to young people: your vote is your voice. Your future is your ballot.

Your belief. Your donations. Your time. Your courage. You made this happen.

You helped train student leaders. You paid for shift meals, voter materials, and campus rides. You shared the message. You stood with us. And together, we stood with the future.

Now, we rest — for a moment.

Then we build again. The 2026 Feminist Victory Fund launches this week. Because this moment is not an endpoint. It’s a proving ground.

And we have more to do.

We fought. We flipped. We made history.
And we are just getting started.

With hope, with strength, and with gratitude,

Ellie Smeal,  co-chair Vote for Equality 

Kathy Spillar, co-chair Vote for Equality 

and  ...

The Vote for Equality Campus Mobilization Team 

P.S. Want to send us your one-line victory story? We’re collecting reflections to include in our next dispatch. Email us: [email protected]