More Notes On The Importance Of Character And Virtue In The 2026 Elections

We are almost at our goal of raising $100,000 to get Troy Jackson launched - can you chip in today?

Morning all. Congress is now officially gone for August and things will slow here in the Capital. Hopium will slow down a bit over the next few weeks as I have some work travel and time away with my family. We all need to rest up for the final big push to make sure this is the election we all want it to be.

Over the past few days I’ve written about how his failed war and his “more for me and less for all of you” economic strategy has caused the American people to turn on him and the Republicans to put their faith in us to lead again. I’ve also written that with the election slipping away from them we must be prepared for Trump, Blanche and Congressional Rs to do whatever it takes to keep themselves in power next January.

In the coming days I will be updating our candidate and state party recommendations to account for results from recent primaries and greater clarity on the closing battlefield of the campaign. One request for everyone in this proud community of plucky patriots today - we’ve almost hit our ambitious $100,000 goal to get Troy Jackson launched and ready to win. Can you chip in something today to help us hit our midnight deadline tonight?

In recent days we’ve gotten more data that shows why the Republicans are right to be worried to be worried about November. Here’s a roundup of new polls in gubernatorial races. Note how far over 2024 our candidates are performing - similar to what we are seeing in the battleground Senate races - and how even big name Republican candidates in Florida and Texas are struggling to break out of the mid to low 40s. Trump is an enormous weight dragging down Republicans all across the country……

The NYT had an interesting analysis yesterday reviewing data from their June battleground state polling that helps provide another explanation for why the lower than usual approval rating of the Democratic Party brand may not matter that much in this election:

In a New York Times/Siena poll of battleground states, national parties were seen as too far to the right or the left, while nominees were viewed as more moderate……

There’s an adage in politics that people view their own members of Congress more favorably than they view Congress overall. Data from a recent New York Times/Siena University poll suggests that distinction, known as Fenno’s paradox, may extend to political ideology.

According to the survey of voters in key battleground U.S. Senate races, 53 percent said the national Democratic Party was too far to the left, and 47 percent viewed the Republican Party as too fa

r to the right. Yet when evaluating individual nominees, voters found local candidates far less extreme, with only 35 percent expressing a similar concern.

That gap suggests that the vitriol of national politics may not translate to the local level, even as voters express deep alarm over party polarization.

Here’s the chart from the article. It’s a little hard to read but give it a shot:

What this data tells us is that in these Senate races the Democratic Party has done a good job giving voters candidates who fit their states, who they are comfortable with, and are “from here.” That part of that virtue we talk so much here comes from being perceived as having emanated from and served the community. Here’s a voter from Iowa describing this dynamic:

The disconnect between current views on national parties and local candidates was especially prominent when voters considered Democratic nominees. In Iowa, 57 percent of voters said the national Democratic Party was too far to the left, but only 25 percent expressed a similar concern about Josh Turek, the state’s Democratic nominee for Senate.

“Both parties have become too politically extreme,” said Jonnah Taylor, 25, who works at a car dealership in Estherville, Iowa. “They’re just focused on their own issues and tearing each other down.”

“Josh Turek is breaking that habit,” added Mr. Taylor, a political independent who plans to support Mr. Turek in the fall. “He’s saying even though you’re a Republican, I still respect you. We’re both humans.”

That in this time of oligarchical and Trumpian betrayal voters are looking for candidates who they trust, are solid and steady, leaders of character, virtue, and service. Watch this new ad from Sarah Trone Garriott in IA-03:

Let’s now watch this new video from Lindsay James, our candidate in IA-02 (who we will be endorsing). Similar themes:

Let’s look at some of the text of what James says here:

And here’s the thing, these kinds of attacks speak more about who my opponent is than who I am. Folks are tired of partisan politics. They want someone with a moral compass and a courage of conviction to show up for them, to fight for them, to do what’s right by them.  When it comes to my faith, caring for my neighbor is not optional. It’s an honor to serve you.

Here’s a video the Talarico campaign just released of our next Senator from Texas getting endorsed by one of the most influential religious leaders in Texas. Watch and listen to the language expressed here. This is new stuff for Democrats:

I often view elections in this vast, diverse country as many streams flowing into a big river. There is no single thing that happens every two years, but many different concurrent trends that emerge as candidates go out in small towns and big cities to make their case and connect with voters. For all the hype around the emergence of a more muscular new left we’ve also seen a new politics of virtue emerge lead in people like Abigail Spanberger, Mikie Sherrill, Rebecca Bennett, Bob Brooks, Mary Peltola, Cait Conley, these three candidates above and so many more. In this new age of venality Americans are yearning to be led by admirable men and women again, ones who they can trust will fight for them, and strong enough to overcome oligarchy, corruption, and inertia. And our party is providing those leaders in this critical moment, which is why we’ve been winning special and local elections of all kinds these past 19 months, and why we have a shot at having the election we all want to have this November.

Let’s close with a reminder of what NYT battleground polling told us about the role of character and virtue in this election, and why it has become such a critical advantage for us (the Maine data below is Platner). These are enormous leads in an issue that was the #1 issue for why voters who were choosing to vote for our candidates:

Let’s check in with our new, daily Hopium mantra:

There is nothing Trump and MAGA wants more than for us to be fighting with each other and not with him. We have one job now - elect as many of these wonderful candidates running for the House and Senate as we can. It’s where our focus must be. It’s a year of opportunity for us across the country. We must seize it, together.

and yes, friends, it is that time again…..

Time To Go Win These Midterms People!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Winning The House and Senate In 2026

Special Fund To Rush Troy Jackson $100,000 By August 10th - Donate Today! | $90,100 raised, $100,000 new stretch goal | Friends we hit our original $50,000 goal in the first 24 hours of this new campaign to get Troy Jackson the resources to staff up, build out his campaign, and beat Susan Collins. Amazing - thank you all!

We aren’t stopping here - this early money really matters, and I want to now try to get to $100,000 by Monday, August 10th. Be sure watch our new interview with Troy.

Our Winning The House Campaign - $1,065,100 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 (Newly Expanded) - $255,700 raised, $500,000 goal - Donate | We’ve launched a second House fund, one supporting candidates who’ve emerged from 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. We are off to a great start here everyone!

Winning The Senate - $662,100 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 - $29,400 raised, $300,000 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 - $32,300 raised, $300,000 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 - $80,300 raised, $75,000 goal - Donate | We set up this fund to help the Maine Dems get through our nominating process. With this community’s strong response we put up almost a third of the resources needed for what became a very successful process to pick a nominee. We had a big return on this investment - thank you all!

Winning Ohio - $187,100 raised, $300,000 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 - $646,600 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.

Strongly recommend that folks read Chair Ken Martin’s new memo, The DNC Is Building a Democratic Party That Can Win the Moment and Win the Future. While the DNC has done important things under his tenure, including the adoption of a new Presidential primary calendar, I think Chair Martin would be wise now to shake up his team and make big changes there. For things simply must get better at the DNC.

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