John,

Last night revealed two very different paths for the Democratic Party, each with major implications for our work in Congress.

On one side, voters elected two moderate Democrats as governors: Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey. Both are former U.S. House members and were ranked as the most bipartisan representatives from their states.

On the other side, Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City. An avowed socialist, he ran a savvy campaign—radical in policy but warm in tone. But that was not the Mamdani we saw in his victory speech last night.

He claimed credit for having “toppled a political dynasty” and called his election “a mandate for a new kind of politics.”

He also showed something common on both the far left and far right: not just a willingness to fight political opponents, but an eagerness. As he said: “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up.”

Republicans matched that energy. Some were gleeful about Mamdani’s win, seeing him as an ideal foil and a political albatross for Democrats. The NRCC declared: “The Socialist takeover of the Democrat Party is official,” tying Mamdani to every Democrat running for Congress next year.

On the left, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez framed his victory as a warning shot to moderate Democrats: Mamdani was “tasked with defeating the old guard of the Democratic Party [that] led us to the perils of this moment.” She warned moderates that “we have a future to fight for, and we’re either going to do that together, or you’re going to be left behind.”

This is not the tone of collaboration. And unfortunately, it is the kind of rhetoric that is likely to inspire more socialists to run for Congress.

At No Labels, we welcome differences in ideology. What matters more is how you lead. Are you a fighter, or a fixer?

Spanberger and Sherrill are fixers. Mamdani is signaling that he is a fighter. And many Republicans are eager to fight back, feeding the partisan doom loop where extremes on one side feed extremes on the other.

That sort of politics is tearing at the fabric of our democracy, and this shutdown—the longest in history—will be only the beginning if we do not correct course.

No Labels is here to break the cycle. We will be redoubling our efforts to convene brave leaders in Congress through our working groups and bicameral meetings. We will also be active in next year's elections, supporting the fixers in both parties who want to move the country forward together.

Last night, Democrats won the moment, but they showed two different paths for their future. Which one they choose will have resounding consequences not just for the party, but for the nation.

We hope you will join us this Friday at 3:00 PM ET for a live call with Carl Cannon, the Washington Bureau Chief of RealClearPolitics. He will help us understand what is really driving this moment of dysfunction in Washington and what it will take to break the stalemate.