Crowley Wins in Wisconsin, Klobuchar and Flanagan in Minnesota, Democrats Embrace The Rainbow

The Democratic Party is changing. In a change election that will help us win.....

Morning all. A quick note from the State Chairs meeting in Austin…..

A Black gubernatorial nominee in Wisconsin. A native woman is now our Senate nominee in Minnesota. A Muslim man is our Senate nominee in Michigan. A moderate, “Establishment Democrat” is our nominee for Governor in Minnesota. A younger mayor unseated an incumbent House Member in Connecticut. Party backed candidates won House primaries all across the country……

My big takeaway from the last few weeks is that Democrats are “embracing the rainbow,” a phrase we use here that describes an approach to pluralistic politics that welcomes - and embraces - the broad diversity of our coalition, and of our nation. For a coalition to be healthy over time every part of the coalition needs to get wins, and boy oh boy has every part of our coalition had wins in recent months.

My hope is that whatever type of Democrat you are you can see yourself in the Democratic leaders who have emerged in the past year, giving you a reason to enthusiastically vote this November. We’ve talked here about the need for the Democratic Party to evolve, grow, improve, and to build our next thing. I think we can say now looking back at the elections over the past 19 months that we are seeing a new Democratic Party emerging, something that feels fresh, different, younger, more dynamic, and just better.

In a change election it has become important that Democrats be seen as changing too. And we are. And this perception that we are changing will make us more appealing, and more likely to win this November.

Our enthusiastic embrace of vigorous primaries, respectful internal debate, and the broad diversity of this country is also providing a very powerful alternative to the dangerous illiberalism and rancid white supremacy of team Trump/GOP today. People are not happy with Trump and the Republicans.

We are clearly offering something different, and better…….

I also think it is important that we drew a line in Wisconsin last night against the DSA. I think there are real questions about whether a movement led by an avowed Marxist-Leninist that has embraced some of the illiberal, repressive governments of the world - all aligned with Russia and Iran - can be considered a part of our pro-democracy movement.

So, in sum - after months of democracy doing its things the Democratic Party just feels stronger and better today as we head into the home stretch.

As I wrote the morning after the 2024 election:

…..many on our side and in the establishment simply do not understand the nature of the conflict America finds itself in today. Trump and his global allies are playing a different game than we are used to. They have invented a whole new deeply illiberal game with all sorts of new pieces and rules. We have been slow, dangerously and recklessly, slow in recognizing how the rules of the game have changed.

It’s why whatever happens next, it is time for the Democratic Party’s generational wheel to turn and for new leaders who are not steeped in and hobbled by old ways to take the helm. We are facing a new battlefield, and more contemporary strategies, tactics, alliances and leaders are required in this next stage of the fight. Now is a time for re-invention, re-imagination, and risk-taking. We need to build a new politics for the American center-left, a more modern one, one more suited to the opportunities and challenges in front of us, a more “networked” one as my friend Joe Trippi would say.

And now we need to go win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We Can Do This People!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winning The House and Senate In 2026

Our Winning The House Campaign - $1,070,100 raised, $1,250,000 goal (new stretch goal) - Donate | Donate to all twelve of our initial wave of House challengers with a single contribution split twelve ways | Get to know Jamie Ager (NC-11), Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Paige Cognetti (PA-08), Rebecca Cooke (WI-03), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Sean McCann (MI-04), Jo Mendoza (AZ-06), Chaz Molder (TN-05), Jonathan Nez (AZ-02), Janelle Stelson (PA-10), Shannon Taylor (VA-01), and Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-03) by watching our recently recorded Hopium interviews.

Friends, if these twelve courageous candidates win, the House will flip, even with Callais and their rancid mid-decade redistricting. So eyes on the prize here everyone!

Winning The House - The Second Wave Fund - $275,100 raised, $500,000 goal - Donate | We’ve launched a second House fund, one supporting candidates who’ve emerged from late, recent primaries and need a bit more help.

Our newly expanded list now features Rebecca Bennett (NJ-07), Bob Brooks (PA-07), Cait Conley (NY-17), Johnny Garcia (TX-35), Bob Harvie (PA-01), Dr. Richard Pan (CA-06), Denise Powell (NE-02), Bobby Pulido (TX-15), Manny Rutinel (CO-8), Dr. Amish Shah (AZ-01), Randy Villegas (CA-22), and Marni von Wilpert (CA-48).

A donation to the Second Wave Fund is split evenly among these twelve, and more as other worthy candidates emerge from their primaries. Our total above includes money we’ve raised for directly for each candidate. You can watch interviews with those who’ve interviewed so far here.

Winning The Senate - $684,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal - Donate | This new fund splits a single donation to our six candidates must likely to flip a Senate seat this November - Sherrod Brown (OH), Roy Cooper (NC), Troy Jackson (ME), Mary Peltola (AK), James Talarico (TX), and Josh Turek (IA).

Our working total includes what we’ve raised for these six so far through direct donations to their campaigns. You can watch our interviews with each of these great candidates and/or contribute directly to any of them directly here.

Expanding The Map - Investing And Winning In Key Battleground And Expansion States

Winning Georgia - $30,500 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | This new fund splits a contribution three ways among Senator Jon Ossoff, gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, and the Georgia Democratic Party

Winning Iowa - $32,500 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Our Winning Iowa fund splits a contribution three ways - to Josh Turek for Senate, to our gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, and to the Iowa Democratic Party

Winning Maine - $80,500 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Our Winning Maine fund splits a contribution evenly among Troy Jackson for Senate, Hannah Pingree for Governor, and the Maine Democratic Party and its Chair Charlie Dingman

Winning Ohio - $188,900 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Our campaign splits contributions evenly among Sherrod Brown, the Acton-Pepper ticket, and the Ohio Democratic Party and its terrific Chair, Kathleen Clyde

Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $648,600 raised, $1,000,000 goal - Donate | Join our campaign that has helped expand our map by investing in the Democratic Parties of Alaska, Florida, Iowa, Maine, and Texas, all now central battlegrounds in the 2026 election | Contribute to all five state parties with one contribution split evenly among these five critical battlegrounds | Catch interviews with the five intrepid state chairs leading their troops into battle this year - will get you fired up!

A Few More Things To Do

Let’s work to make sure everyone you know is Voting Early this year. Learn more about how our political battlefield is changing and how we can best protect our elections this November and ensure a peaceful transfer of power in January. Bring our Resolutions Project to your community. Fight for Hopium’s Agenda and let’s also embrace Leader Jeffries’ new agenda, “Fighting For An Affordable America.” Become a paid subscriber to Hopium to help us grow this community of proud, plucky patriots.

In the spirit if informing and not inflaming I’ve set up a new page to help us learn more about the Democratic Socialists Of America (DSA). Additionally, my friend Halie Soifer, the very capable CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, has written a very thoughtful piece with recommendations for how Abdul El-Sayed can address the very real concerns about his candidacy in the Jewish community.

Please use the paid subscriber chat to self-report the good trouble you make each day.

Keep working hard everyone. We have a country to save, and elections to win, together! - Simon