The Good:
Early fundraising allowed our candidates to call out opponents’ extremist positions, first impressions that Republicans couldn’t shake even by outspending us in the final weeks. We held our ground in the House, flipping 4 seats while the opposition flipped 5. Democrats won two-thirds of the closest House races, and Republicans won control by only 7,309 votes. Alabama, home to the Confederacy’s first capital, elected two Black members to Congress for the first time ever.
We knew maintaining a majority in the Senate would be a battle, and we aimed to minimize losses. We successfully held onto crucial seats in Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Michigan, narrowly losing Pennsylvania in overtime (aka automatic recount.) In each of these states, our Senate candidates outperformed the top of the ticket. While historically, Senate toss-up races have broken disproportionately for one party or the other, they split evenly this year.
Voters supported abortion rights in 7 states, expanding access in already legal states and lifting bans in two others. MAGA legislatures don’t always respect the voices of their constituents, but the voters did speak, and the issue did help our down-ballot candidates.
While the country shifted 7 points to the right, the states we focused on shifted only 3 points on average. Our investments – every dollar, every postcard, text, cured ballot, door-knock, and phone call – made a tangible difference. Losing ground never feels good, but we’ll be grateful for each of the 4 points we refused to cede as we head into 2026.
The Bad:
While Democratic Senate candidates in the deeply conservative states of Ohio and Montana outperformed Harris, we did lose the seats and thus majority control. We also lost the Independent Senate seat in West Virginia, a race we never realistically expected to win. We couldn’t rely on Manchin’s vote anyway, but he did caucus with Democrats, which counted when tallying the majority for leadership.
The Ugly:
Trump, Vance, and a MAGA trifecta; nuff said.
The reason we engage in politics is to influence policy. The policies of the incoming administration are vile, violent, and destructive, and they will undoubtedly cause widespread harm – particularly to the most vulnerable among us. We will surely see a blatant disregard for the rule of law and further erosion of democratic principles. This will unfold against a backdrop of chaos, division, and hatred.
Roll Credits:
We are the bonus cast of characters. [Cue theme song] The experience and connections we’ve gained since the first Trump administration put us in a position of strength. We plan to protect targeted people, defend our democracy, disrupt and disobey authoritarian flexes, and continue to build our power. It will require hard work and sacrifice, but we are equal to the challenge. We are prepared. We are determined. We understand our roles.