Dear John,

Welcome to 2026!

Here at Ms., we’re looking forward to the new year, prepared for the battles ahead, from Capitol Hill and the Supreme Court to statehouses and ballot boxes, workplaces and classrooms. And if 2025 taught us anything, it’s that women will play a decisive role in the outcomes—whether in their roles as lawmakers on Capitol Hill; in statehouses and mayors’ offices across the country; in academia; in media and newsrooms; or as a powerful voting block.

You already know this if you read Ms.—women voters took 2025’s elections by storm. As we report in our Winter issue, “Women turned out at higher rates than men and made up a majority of voters, and historic gender gaps reshaped the political landscape.” That included a a 17-point gender gap in Virginia’s governors’ race, leading Abigail Spanberger to become the state’s first woman governor. And a 13-point gender gap led Mikie Sherrill to likewise make history in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race. 

To put this in perspective, if only men had been allowed to vote in both elections, Trump-backed anti-women’s rights candidates would be the incoming governors in both states. Both Spanberger and Sherrill are strong feminists, winning elections where abortion rights and gender equality were front-burner issues in the campaigns. 

What does this mean as candidates start gearing up for the 2026 elections? To us, it signals that women are tapped in to what’s going on, and will be the voters who reshape Congress, state legislatures, city councils, school boards—and with their votes, the future of the country and our very democracy.

As we enter this new year, with so much at stake, know that you can depend on Ms. to keep providing the thoughtful feminist reporting and analysis you count on to stay informed—and ready to fight back. Here’s to another year of reporting, rebelling and truth-telling. We’re so glad you’re with us!

For equality,

Kathy Spillar

Executive Editor

P.S. —  If you love the work we do, and are not already a subscriber, we'd love it if you joined us—for as little as $5 a month, you receive four print issues of Ms. magazine, special invitations to events with authors and leading experts on women’s health, politics and elections, and so much more!

Tune in for a new episode of Ms. magazine's podcast, On the Issues with Michele Goodwin on

Apple Podcasts + Spotify.

In the year since the Trump administration returned to office, there have been hundreds of executive orders, many of which district courts have ruled unconstitutional and illegal. As judges have noted, these actions have caused direct harm to Americans all across the country. And hard-hitting attorneys general have fought back. There are now over 450 lawsuits against the Trump administration, and in many of them district courts have ruled that the administration acted unconstitutionally. In this episode, recorded earlier this year, I’m joined by two Attorneys General who are leading this resistance: Massachusetts’s Andrea Campbell, and Michigan’s Dana Nessel.

We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!

U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For over 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you. We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity.

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