John,

The other day, Tiernan Donohue, our chief campaigns officer, said something that stuck with me: "On-years are when every single day is the Super Bowl." 

We are officially entering an "on-year," with critical U.S. House and Senate midterm elections on the ballot in November — an 11-month-long stretch where every day counts, every decision matters, and every hour brings us closer to defining the future of this country. That's why I want to share what lies ahead in the new year and how EMILYs List is already putting in the work to make it a success.

We just released EMILYs List’s Blueprint to Win — our proven strategy for winning tough races, as evidenced by the commanding victories we just saw this November. Those wins made one thing undeniable: Democratic pro-choice women are at the center of the fight to take back power.

Leaders like Mikie Sherrill, Abigail Spanberger, Ghazala Hashmi, and the incredible women who won Virginia House of Delegates and local races across the country have shown us not just how to win tough races, but how to show up as the kind of leaders voters are hungry for. At a time when Republicans' cruel agenda is making everyday life harder and Washington chaos is inflicting real pain on families, voters are gravitating toward women who understand what they're going through — women who truly get their frustrations and challenges. Women who aren’t afraid to confront broken systems because they didn't come from them. Their leadership isn't just inspiring; it's the roadmap for taking back power in 2026.

At EMILYs List, we've long rejected tired playbooks and one-size-fits-all strategies. The 2025 elections reminded us that our approach works because it is grounded in real people and real communities. We recruit women from the places they serve, and our Campaign Services team invests years — sometimes multiple election cycles — building strong relationships with candidates. I think about leaders like Delegates-elect Kimberly Pope Adams and Lily Franklin, women who came heartbreakingly close to winning in 2023 but kept going – and ran again and won in 2025! – because they knew their communities needed them. And we stayed with them because we knew they were the right leaders to flip districts when the moment was right.

We build campaigns from the ground up, piece by piece, moment by moment. Our staff are in call time rooms for hours, prepping debate strategies, navigating attacks, even making late-night supply runs when a campaign needs it. This is what it looks like to be all-in — to treat every day like the Super Bowl.

All of this — the Blueprint to Win, the candidates we elevate, the campaigns we build, the races we flip — is only possible because of this community. Because of you.

As we enter 2026, we look forward to electing women who have a plan for a better future. I have never been more confident in the power of this movement or in the women who are stepping up to lead. We are prepared, we are focused, and we are ready to take back power.

Let's get to work.

Jessica Mackler
President, EMILYs List 


P.S. If you're ready to get to work, donate before midnight to become an official EMILYs List 2026 member: [link removed]

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