John,

While votes are still being counted in some races, at this point we can draw some conclusions about the midterm election. This much is clear: Our movement for fair elections and a strong democracy won some very important victories last night.

Democracy Defenders won governorships in the swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Minnesota, with votes in other states still being counted. Democrats additionally defeated election deniers in secretary of state races in Michigan and Minnesota, and appear to have flipped the Michigan legislature!

I know this: Everything you did, including every dollar you were able to give, made a difference. Thanks to supporters like you, we were able to invest nearly $3 million into targeted races. With our affiliates, we helped recruit nearly 4,000 poll workers and encouraged countless people to register to vote and show up at the polls. We wouldn’t have been able to accomplish as much as we did without you, John. Thank you.

I also want to remind you what our movement achieved through our redistricting work: The fairest U.S. House map in 40 years. That means that even though Democrats may or may not keep the House, we have every chance to win it in 2024 – because we purposefully worked for a map that was drawn not just for one election, but for an entire decade.

Now, where do we go from here?

As Garrett wrote yesterday, no one expects the GOP to stop working toward permanent minority rule just because this election is over. In fact, despite our best efforts, a number of MAGA election deniers will be taking office in January. The threat to American democracy remains potent – and so must the NDRC’s commitment to pushing back.

So we will be continuing our work to prevent Republican gerrymandering and protect our democracy. Speaking of gerrymandering – Republicans have announced that they no longer view redistricting as a once-per-decade event. They intend to keep trying to manipulate the maps, and lawsuits are ongoing in several states, so it’s important that we gather resources and stay active.

Then there’s the Supreme Court, which is hearing two major cases this term that could have serious ramifications for our democracy. We’ll explain more in the coming weeks, but it’s essential that our movement follow every development closely and be ready to respond.

I want to leave you with two quotes. The first is from President Obama, whose support has been so instrumental to the NDRC: “Democracy is fragile. You have to tend to it, you have to fight for it.” That, indeed, is what I see as the mission of the NDRC.

The second quote is from Attorney General Holder, who has led our work over the past six years. He was talking about the ongoing struggle to defend our democracy, which may not be perfect but sure beats the alternative:

“As daunting as [it] might seem, these are battles that we can win, if we will pay attention to them, devote resources to them, commit ourselves, stay in it for the long haul.”

The NDRC is here for the long haul, John. Today marks a new beginning. I hope you’ll stay with us.

If you’re able, we’d appreciate a donation of any amount:

In gratitude,

Kelly Burton
President

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Since 2017, the NDRC has executed a comprehensive redistricting strategy that shifts the redistricting power, creating fair districts where Democrats can compete. Our victories have been made possible by our strong community of grassroots supporters.

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