There’s a familiar rhythm, post-Election Day. Polls close. Results are called. Campaigns shut down. Yard signs disappear. Political ads go dark. Candidates move on. But local organizers stay. And that’s who I’ve been thinking about since Tuesday: The people across the country who not only poured every inch of themselves into our big fights for the past six or eight months – but who woke up this morning, got out of bed, and started again. No matter whether they won or lost. No matter the heartache and exhaustion. They stay. It is a courageous and powerful act of political hope in a country that could use a lot more of those. The organizers in Oklahoma who put their state on the national political map in a way it hasn’t been in a very long time. The organizers in Mississippi who worked into the wee hours of the night on election protection, fighting for every last voice to be heard. The organizers in Alabama who, for the first time in twelve years, helped flip an Alabama House seat from red to blue. The organizers in West Virginia, who fought like hell to elect candidates from Charleston to Fayette County that will stand up to the corporate interests that have extracted too much for too long from their state. The organizers in Kentucky and Michigan who laid it all on the line to protect abortion access, the organizers in South Dakota who expanded Medicaid to their neighbors most in need or the organizers in Nebraska who raised the minimum wage. At Groundwork, these are OUR political heroes. These are the people we wake up to fight for because they never stop fighting for us. The book isn’t closed on the midterms. We’ve got races still to call, runoffs, and results to analyze and learn from for months to come. But in the meantime, thank an organizer. Because none of this – none of it – happens without them. And get some rest! – Joe
Joe Kennedy (he/him)
Founder
Groundwork Project