Maine's Convention Will Be July 25th, Encouraging New Gallup Data, Democrats Must Elevate To Fight Trump's Escalating Authoritarianism
The Senate is considering the nominations of Todd Blanche and Jay Clayton this week - Democrats must do everything we can to block them.....
Morning all. Last night the Maine Dems announced their plan for choosing our next Senate nominee. You can read about it here, and here’s MDP Chair Charlie Dingman talking about it in a new video. The big news is that the Convention that will pick our nominee will be held on Saturday, July 25th.
Here’s a summary of the plan from the MDP website:
Maine Democrats across the state are coming together to select our next U.S. Senate nominee — and defeat Susan Collins in November.
On Saturday, July 25, we will hold a nominating convention where 601 delegates will vote for our new nominee. We have worked hard to create a process that is inclusive of varying viewpoints and diverse backgrounds of Democrats across the state of Maine. The convention will be fair, representative, and as transparent as possible as we all come together in service of our ultimate goal: defeat Susan Collins and win this Senate seat.
We are proud to undergo one of the most inclusive processes that any state party has ever undertaken to replace a Senate nominee. This election cycle we have seen immense energy and enthusiasm around the ideals that we share as Democrats. Now, we must all come together and harness our grassroots energy to win this Senate seat.
These circumstances are unprecedented, but your state party is ready and capable of rising to this challenge and defeating Susan Collins.
I am proud of what Chair Dingman and the MDP staff have been able to do under such challenging circumstance. I am also grateful to this community for we hit our $50,000 fundraising goal for the Maine Dems last night. This money will go to help the MDP cover the costs of this nominating process and Convention, a process that is draining valuable time and money from their traditional general election work.
Amazing work everyone! And good luck to the Democrats of Maine. Make a good choice, and let’s get on with the important work of beating Susan Collins, together!
New Gallup q2 Party ID Comes In Again At 49% Dem, 39% R
Here’s an updated chart of Party ID, via Gallup. Democrats are heading into the November election in one of our strongest positions of the post-Cold War era:
To be clear this data is consistent with the strong overperformance we’ve seen in state, local and special elections this cycle, and in the Senate and House polling we’ve seen in recent weeks. It’s why I put together this recent analysis:
Democrats Must Elevate This Week To Fight Trump’s Escalating Authoritarianism
As I said in my talk this week it’s clear that Trump has seen all the data we’ve seen about the coming election and has come to the conclusion that the only way he and the Republicans stay in power, and he stays out of jail, is to make sure there is not a free and fair election this November and god knows what else after the election itself; that in essence in his madness and desperation he has come to the conclusion that our democracy must end, and he must become something akin to an unaccountable monarch.
Consider that he continues to wage war against Senate Republicans over their refusal to pass the SAVE Act. He continues to take dramatic steps to fortify the White House, suggesting he has no intention of ever leaving. DHS’s repeated killing of people on our streets goes uninvestigated by our government, creating a clear permission structure for even more state-sponsored violence in the coming months. Republicans are illiberally covering up Mitch McConnell’s health problems, a bit of an ominous sign of what is to come as Trump’s own health deteriorates. His new, incendiary rhetoric around us becoming communists has become a rhetorical predicate for doing “whatever it takes” to keep us from power. On Thursday Trump shut down the Election Assistance Commission. Yesterday he and the DOJ launched one of most serious attacks on the free press in American history:
The Trump administration issued subpoenas on Friday to several journalists for The New York Times, after the news outlet reported this week on security concerns involving President Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One.
The subpoenas — which seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday — were an extraordinary escalation in President Trump’s efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations.
In some cases, the subpoenas were delivered by federal agents who showed up at reporters’ homes.
The Times denounced the administration’s actions.
“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” said David McCraw, The Times’s top newsroom lawyer, in a statement on Friday evening.
“Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used,” Mr. McCraw wrote. “This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”
The subpoenas contain few specifics, asking only that the journalists testify “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law.” They were issued by Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan. Mr. Clayton, who leads one of the country’s most prominent law enforcement offices, was recently nominated by Mr. Trump to serve as director of national intelligence.
This morning the NYT published (gift link) an extraordinary story that essentially documents about how our rapacious leader has, in violation of every conceivable law and norm of the modern world, turned Venezuela into a colony of the United States. A possession.
Last night he posted this war crime filled screed on social media:
On Wednesday the Senate will take up the nominations of the corrupt and venal Todd Blanche for Attorney General and Trump’s golfing partner, Jay Clayton, for the Director of National Intelligence. Blanche of course has illegally suppressed the bulk of the Epstein files, repeatedly used the DOJ to pursue Trump’s domestic opponents, and is enabling Trump’s unprecedented corruption. As the US Attorney from the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton issued and is the signatory to the subpoenas of the New York Times journalists, subpoenas also signed off on by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
In taking illiberal actions at Trump’s direction both men have told us they cannot be trusted to act in the interest of America, only in the interest of Trump.
We have to assume that Trump will see the confirmation of these two men as a Congressional green light for him to do whatever it takes to keep him and the Republicans in power; and for all intents and purposes end American democracy in the coming months. It sure does feel like Senate Leader Thune has cut a rancid deal with the White House - no SAVE, but Trump gets Blanche and Clayton.
Perhaps I am being overly dramatic. But I don’t think so. And this week Democrats must elevate and fight like our democracy is on the line - for it is. Governors and state Attorneys General should get loud, as should as the House Democratic Caucus. Fighting these appointments should not be the sole responsibility of the Senate Democrats. We all must join in the fight, for the stakes here are enormous.
I also want to speak this morning to my fellow Democrats - the understanding that exists in our family that this election is about kitchen table issues and that ducking a fight like this is smart strategy is simply wrong. Voters are looking for leaders who fight for them; in new NYT polling character and virtue are more important to voters than traditional issues; in poll after poll of traditional issues “threats to democracy” consistently ranks as a top tier issue, almost always higher than health care, among the voters available to us this November.
I write about all that data here:
I have become concerned that the “focus on kitchen table issues” narrative has become a comforting way of masking cowardice in our family, an unwillingness to take the fight to Trump the way history tells us we must now. This week we must show courage, fight, patriotism and be loud and proud people. The appointment of these two men will accelerate Trump’s escalating and dangerous authoritarianism, and leave our democracy - and our rights and freedoms - in even greater peril. We may not win these battles but the American people and our voters must see who we are this week, and what we must be is a band of proud patriots fighting with everything we got for the country we love…..
So, Yes My Friends, It’s Time To Get To Work People!!!!
Winning The House
Hopium’s Winning The House Campaign - $963,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal - Donate to all twelve of our endorsed 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 win, the House will flip, no matter redistricting madness the Rs execute in the coming days. So eyes on the prize here everyone!
Winning The House - The Second Wave Fund - $173,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | We’ve launched a second House fund, one targeting candidates who’ve recently emerged from primaries or running in new districts. Our initial crew is Rebecca Bennett (NJ-07), Bob Brooks (PA-07), Cait Conley (NY-17), Johnny Garcia (TX-35), Bob Harvie (PA-01), Denise Powell (NE-02), and Bobby Pulido (TX-15).
A donation to the Second Wave Fund is split evenly among these seven, 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 all of seven of these intrepid leaders here. We are off to a great start here everyone!
Winning The Senate/Expanding The Map - Investing And Winning In Key Expansion States
Our New Winning The Senate Fund - $478,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal - Donate | This new fund splits a single donation to our five candidates must likely to flip a Senate seat this November - Sherrod Brown (OH), Roy Cooper (NC), Mary Peltola (AK), James Talarico (TX), and Josh Turek (IA). The $474,000 figure is what we’ve raised for these five so far, as you see will below (and a very modest amount for Platner is included in this total).
You can also contribute to their individual campaigns or our expansion state bundles here:
Roy Cooper For NC Senate - $129,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my new discussion with Gov. Cooper
Mary Peltola For Alaska Senate - $114,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my uplifting conversation with Mary Peltola as she fights to turn Alaska blue
James Talarico For Texas - $102,500 raised, $250,000 - Donate | Learn more from my inspiring interview with Rep. Talarico as he fights to turn Texas blue
Josh Turek For Iowa Senate - $34,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more and volunteer | Watch my wonderful new interview with Josh Turek
Winning Iowa - $16,200 raised, $100,000 goal - We’ve also set up a new Winning Iowa campaign that splits a contribution three ways - to Josh Turek for Senate, to our gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, and to the Iowa Democratic Party and its great chair, Rita Hart
Winning Ohio - $173,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Our new campaign splits contributions evenly among Sherrod Brown, the Acton/Pepper ticket, and the Ohio Democratic Party | Donate today and help turn this critical 2026 battleground blue
Hopium’s Audacious Expansion Fund - $621,100 raised, $1,000,000 goal (new stretch goal) - 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!
Senate Holds
Jon Ossoff For GA Senate - $202,100 raised, $250,000 goal - Donate | Learn more through my uplifting conversation with Senator Ossoff
Note that we have now changed our ActBlue default settings so that your contact information is only shared with a campaign if you give your affirmative permission. Many of you have asked for this and it is now our standard operating procedure.
Some Things To Call Congress About This Week
Yes to making American oligarchs pay for Trump’s failed Iran war - not every day Americans
Yes to the Ukraine Support Act, get it passed through the Senate and to the President’s desk
No to the ballroom, the Arch, the gilded statues, the slush fund, the corruption, self-enrichment……
Hell no to Todd Blanche as Attorney General, and hell hell no to the DNI nominee, Jay Clayton
Hell hell no to the new OMB regs that will destroy government-funded science in America. Join the new Stand Up For Science campaign to Stop Vought. Save Science today.
Make Hopium Stronger, Bigger, Better - And Keep It Paywall Free For All
We are shooting for 500 new annual paid subscribers by August 1st, and are now at 307 - getting there! Thank you all! It’s 10% off an annual subscription through the end of July, and you can follow the link below for group and gift subscriptions too!
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 all across this great country to win, together! - Simon
Here is something inspiring. When President Joe Biden revealed that he was facing late stage prostate cancer that metastasized to his bones, I mailed him a Catholic Mass Card of recurring prayers for healing and comfort. It is a common way for Catholics to acknowledge a hardship and express concern. This week I received a thank-you letter from him, and posted a scanned copy of it here to see. https://drive.google.com/file/d/11-tGX5kLK7JNtds-ZtGsNIP0t5-aJdlt/view?usp=sharing
This is the text of it.
Office of Joe and Jill Biden
May 19, 2026.
Dear Deborah,
Jill often quotes a poet who said: “Don't turn away. Keep your gaze on the bandaged place. That's where the light enters.” I'm strengthened knowing how much light is yet to come into my life, even and especially during the most difficult times. Now, facing my recent diagnosis, is no different.
Jill and I are always humbled by your prayers, support, and well wishes. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your message. Thank you for your light.
Keep the faith,
Joe Biden
Thanks so much, Simon, for laying out the facts and encouraging us to take action. I have decided to become a walking sign for democracy by wearing a political hat each morning on my morning dog walk. Today, my husband and I wore our hats (mine is RESIST and his is DOWN WITH KINGS) to the very large Madison, WI, art fair. We had several good discussions as a result with people who have been reluctant to engage in similar messaging. Every little bit spreads and spreads and spreads. . .