Friend,

As a soldier, you’re taught to occupy the battlefield. The whole battlefield. The power of boots on the ground is what makes our Army strong.

Leaving massive spaces open just gives your opponent places to regroup and grow stronger.

Here’s the thing: Democrats aren’t occupying the battlefield.

In 2022, Democrats left 23 Congressional Districts completely uncontested. Maybe that doesn’t sound like a lot.

But 17,507,117 people live in those Districts.

That’s the equivalent of the population of the cities of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston – combined.

If those 17,507,117 people were a state, they’d be the fifth largest, between New York and Pennsylvania.

And that’s just counting the people in the 23 districts where Democrats didn’t run a nominee at all. It gets worse when you consider all the districts where Democrats put a candidate on the ballot, but that person didn’t get any support.

But the problem isn’t just how many people are being left behind. It’s what’s filled the void.

In 2022, 76% of the Freedom Caucus Republicans either faced no opponent, or one that was underfunded and easily dismissed.

These Freedom Caucus Republicans are hell-bent on shredding democracy. But rather than fighting them head-on, we’re giving them free passes and letting them waltz into the halls of Congress without so much as a fight.

We’ve seen the result. It’s total chaos in Washington because the far-right fringe has taken over the GOP. Not because they’re what a majority of the people want. But because they’re the only ones occupying the whole field. And for plenty of voters, they’re the only ones on the ballot.

It’s not clever, or some brilliant strategy, to ignore 17.5 million people.

It’s dangerous.

It gives these anti-democracy forces plenty of ground to regroup and grow stronger.

Friend, you already know that Democracy doesn’t just live in swing districts, and the fight for democracy isn’t just in swing districts in swing states.

That’s why so many of you supported my race against Marjorie Taylor Greene against impossible odds. Because we must run, and fight back, everywhere.

The fight for democracy is everywhere.

That’s where we need to fight.

And that’s what I’m planning on doing. I hope you’ll join me.

-Marcus

Paid for by Marcus for Georgia
PO Box 532 Rome, GA 30162 United States