November 29, 2025

I will be honest: For many of us, this has been a difficult year to find much to be thankful for. Donald Trump has destroyed institutions, the rule of law and the East Wing of the White House. He has unleashed cruelty on the American people and terrorized our cities and communities. He has attacked his political enemies and pardoned those responsible for Jan. 6.

The Republican Party has done nothing but support Trump's every whim. Far from being a grand party, it has become a hollowed-out shell that serves one man and his ambition. 

Even worse, once-trusted institutions quickly and easily bent the knee and capitulated to his authoritarian wishes. Powerful law firms bowed down. The legacy media hastened its decline as it poured money into his coffers to settle bogus lawsuits.

Recently, there have been signs of hope. Everywhere you look, there is evidence that the seeds of a new opposition movement are taking hold. Protesters in the streets, new media organizations and lawyers in courtrooms have all shown the courage to take on the threat with skill and conviction.

At Democracy Docket, your support has allowed us to bring you critical voting rights and election news, empowering us to cover news the legacy media has ignored and to expand our operation. That has been critical to grow our team to more than 20 people and expand our ability to hold Trump and his administration accountable by keeping you informed.

While I cherish Democracy Docket and its work, in my heart, I remain a courtroom fighter for free and fair elections. Even as times have grown dark, I have relished the court fights and the victories.

From New York to Texas, we have won critical voting rights and election cases that will empower and protect our democracy for years to come. These cases not only blocked Republican attacks but also strengthened our elections, modernized voting and protected minority voices at the ballot box. 

I am thankful for the attorneys and citizens who played critical roles in these cases, and to honor their important efforts, I wanted to highlight a few of them here for you. 

North Carolina Supreme Court Election Contest: This year began with Republicans continuing to challenge the election of North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs. After a six-month legal battle against Republican Judge Jefferson Griffin, justice prevailed when a federal judge ordered the North Carolina State Board of Elections to certify Riggs’ victory. I was proud of the work my law firm did in protecting the rights of voters in that fight.

Pennsylvania Undated and Wrongly Dated Mail-in Ballots Challenge: For years, Democrats and Republicans have fought over the counting and rejection of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania. This year, my team won a big victory when the 3rd Circuit ruled that the state’s date requirement for mail-in ballots violates the First and 14th Amendments. As a result, counties cannot reject mail-in ballots solely because the return envelopes are undated or incorrectly dated.

Washington, D.C., Trump Election Integrity Executive Order Challenge: When Donald Trump tried to impose new voting restrictions via executive order, the Democratic Party fought back. On their behalf, we won a critical victory by obtaining an order blocking the Trump administration from implementing the portion of Trump’s anti-voting executive order that sought to require documentary proof of citizenship on the federal voter registration application. 

Arizona Election Procedures Manual Challenge: Republicans have waged a multiyear war on the handbook that Arizona election officials use to conduct their elections. Their goal was to undermine the safeguards put in place to ensure uniform, safe and secure elections. Representing pro-democracy groups, my law firm refused to give an inch, and this year, we won a critical victory in the state Supreme Court.

Redistricting Fights Around the Country: Ever since Donald Trump instructed Texas to redraw its congressional maps, my team and I have been on the front lines fighting for fair and legal maps. From state trial courts to the U.S. Supreme Court, and from New York to California, this has turned into an all-out battle to prevent Republicans from rigging the outcome of the 2026 congressional elections. Already, we have had several important victories, and I am thankful for them all. But these battles aren’t over, and we must remain strong to win the fight ahead.

Now, here's a little joy from our pawtners in the opposition.