Dear friends and allies -
It’s me, your new friend, Annie, back with another edition of MVP’s monthly newsletter — The Power Move. 💪🏼💪🏽💪🏾
It’s March, which means the days are getting longer, spring is right around the corner, and March Madness is upon us (go, University of South Carolina women!). While there is literally more light in our lives right now ☀️, the Trump administration continues to create darkness.
An unlawful, devastating war in Iran. Climate-change-induced whiplash weather. Trans people under attack. Millions skipping meals to afford healthcare costs. And, of course, ICE agents still terrorizing our communities.
The harm caused by this administration is heartbreaking, but you know what? It’s not the only thing happening.
Senate Democrats are holding the line on DHS funding. Democrats won key primary elections in North Carolina, outperformed Republicans in Texas, and could gain four U.S. House seats in Virginia. And, last but not least, Kristi Noem got fired, and Greg Bovino is retiring (see ya!).
Thanks to MVP partners putting in the work in big and small ways (see below for the inside scoop).
From Minnesota to the midterms, our partners are showing up, organizing communities, and building the power we need to win this November and beyond. Our path to victory is clearer than ever. But we can’t — and won’t — slow down.
MVP and our partners are pulling out all the stops to: resist authoritarianism (already happening!), build power and pass bold policies for working-class people (underway!), and swing for the fences to win every election we can in 2026 (not waiting for baseball season!).
Thanks to your support, we are making power moves together.
Let’s keep going,
Annie
Annie Lipsitz, MVP Donor Communications Manager
(On behalf of the MVP team)
P.S. - I’m adding an extra push to read this newsletter allllll the way to the end. Our “Making the Revolution Irresistible” section features one of the best things we’ve put out in years. You definitely don’t want to miss it. (OK, spoiler alert: Movement Voter Project made a video about resisting ICE in Minnesota! Get the link below.)
Photo: New North Carolina Project celebrating Veleria Levy’s win in HD-99.
MVP Partners Doing What They Do Best
MVP partners are doing the most to win critical spring elections, win the redistricting war, and fight for the future we need. 🏆
The Best Story You Never Heard: North Carolina Primary Victories!
In North Carolina, MVP partners helped five bold Democrats win their state House primary elections on March 3. In what we thought would be tight races, our partners’ candidates walloped their opponents by double-digit margins.
These victories include Democratic candidates who challenged three Democratic incumbents who had a nasty habit of voting with Republicans on multiple bills in the state House and voting with them again to override Democratic Governor Josh Stein’s veto. We need Democratic champions who will fight against — not with — MAGA and for what working-class people need. Our North Carolina partners got it done, helping these strong Dems secure victory!
Want to read more about these victories, what our partners did, and why these wins are important for turning North Carolina blue? We got you.
Texas Real Talk: Strengthening our Coalition to Flip the Senate
In the Texas primary on March 3, Democratic voters showed up in record numbers and outpaced Republicans. We now have a real chance to flip this Senate seat blue — and with it, the whole chamber. I know, we also can’t believe it!
Next up, MVP partners like LUPE Votes, Workers Defense Action Fund, and Texas for All will go all out to get voters to the polls to help Texas elect a Democratic U.S. Senator this November — for the first time in more than 30 years.
What was both beautiful and hard was that we had two incredible candidates in the race, Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico. A lot about this one primary race is indicative of so much more. MVP Executive Director Billy Wimsatt shared this note on what happened and how we can move forward:
"The race between Crockett and Talarico ended up becoming a painful contest along racial and gender lines that has left the Democratic coalition divided at a time when we desperately need to be united — sadly, a not-surprising reality, when a Black woman competes against a white man for higher office in the United States.
"Imagine if the candidates and their supporters had both gone into the race united and said, ‘We have two good candidates. We are united in the larger mission of defeating Republicans. We will both support whoever wins this fall, and the other one will take on Ted Cruz in the next round. We are a team.’ That is the tone we need to set for everyone involved. That is the culture shift we need to create in our movement and in our Democratic coalition.
"For MVP, we strive to make our movement more strategic and collaborative wherever we can. We do this because collaborative spirit creates power — and we need as much power as possible to achieve our most urgent priority: flipping the U.S. House and Senate this November. That narrow but attainable path runs right through Texas, so long as we don’t let the goal we’re working toward eclipse our ability to work together to achieve it."
Photo: Wisconsin Conservation Voters writing postcards in support of Judge Chris Taylor for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Wisconsin: Time to Win Another Supreme Court Seat!
On April 7, Wisconsinites will have the opportunity to expand the liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Last year, MVP partners helped maintain a 4-3 liberal majority, and they are putting in the work again to expand it to 5-2. Wisconsin Working Families Party, Wisconsin Conservation Voters, Citizen Action Wisconsin, and others are engaging, educating, and turning out voters for this critical election that could have a major impact on issues like redistricting, abortion access, and workers’ rights.
Photo: New Virginia Majority get-out-the-vote canvassers
Virginia: Early Voting for Redistricting is ON!
We have great news in the redistricting battle! After a lot of legal back-and-forth, Virginia’s redistricting ballot measure is in front of voters. Early voting started March 6, and Election Day is April 21. If passed, the measure could gain Democrats up to four seats in the U.S. House this November — a huge step towards flipping the House and fighting back against Trump’s gerrymandering power grabs.
MVP partners working to pass the redistricting ballot measure include: HAMKAE Power, which is focused on engaging and mobilizing AAPI voters in Northern Virginia, CASA in Action, which is engaging their robust base of Latine voters and focusing on turning out Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) voters in Prince William County and Virginia Beach, and New Virginia Majority working statewide, with an extra focus on critical conversations persuading voters to vote “yes” in southern Virginia and bringing in trusted messengers in Black communities in southwest Virginia.
New York: Ring Ring! MVP Partners Calling. It’s Time to Flip NY-17.
MVP partner Citizen Action NY is starting now to engage voters and, ultimately, turn them out to oust Republican Mike Lawler from his U.S. House seat in New York’s 17th Congressional District. They are hosting weekly phone banks (that you can join!) to talk to voters in NY-17 about the issues they care about and why voting in the midterms is important to flip this vulnerable seat in November. NY-17 is one of MVP’s target districts this year, with Lawler winning his seat in 2024 by only six points. From voting for Medicaid cuts to applauding the overturn of Roe v. Wade, it’s time for Lawler to go.
Picking up this seat — combined with redistricting gains in Virginia and California and ousting other vulnerable Republicans in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and elsewhere — will help ensure we flip the House this year.
Screenshot: PA Stands Up is hosting daily “Housing Power Hour” learning sessions.
Pennsylvania: Help with Housing → Win Elections
I have never tried to buy a home, largely because it seems hard, confusing, and expensive. Enter MVP partner PA Stands Up. They are hosting Housing Power Hour, an educational and real-talk series on all things housing — from mortgage loans, to rental fees, to “what does a realtor even actually do?”
You might be thinking: "What does an educational series on housing have to do with organizing and winning elections?” Everything.
PA Stands Up is doing the work of meeting people where they are and providing the resources they need to help them in their daily lives. Not only is that the right thing to do — especially as the cost of living is a top issue for voters — it also builds trust between PA Stands Up and community members. That way, when PA Stands Up goes back to voters in the fall to mobilize them to flip three Pennsylvania U.S. House seats, they’re more likely to show up to the polls.
Louisiana: Five More Seats to Break the GOP Supermajority
On February 7, Louisiana voters showed up big-time in a special election for state House District 60. Democrat Chastity Verret Martinez won the race by 24 points — a crushing victory in a district Trump carried by 13 points in 2024. This year, MVP will work with local Louisiana partners, including Step Up for Action, Voters Organized to Educate (VOTE), LA Liberty & Dignity Coalition, and Power Coalition for Electoral Justice, to focus on winning additional Louisiana House seats and try to break the GOP supermajority in this (sometimes quirky) red state.
These gains in Louisiana point to what is possible in the South, which strategists and funders too often deprioritize and write off as “unwinnable.” As we’ve seen with North Carolina, Georgia, and (gasp!) even Texas — the South is changing. Democratic overperformance in special elections wins like this one show us that MAGA isn’t mandatory in the South. If we nurture these shifts, we just might be able to re-paint the electoral map.
New Hampshire: Winning So Many Town Elections!
Last month, we told you about MVP partner 603 Forward’s candidate recruitment and training program. This month, 25 of the 37 candidates that 603 Forward recruited and trained won their races in town elections on March 10. Their winning candidates represent 12 communities across New Hampshire, and 10 of these winners were running for the first time. These victories also include key pro-democracy election administrator wins, which are especially important in this Republican-controlled state.
603 Forward’s track record of recruiting and training candidates doesn’t stop at the hyper-local level. Their Run Club and Run for It series focus on recruiting and training state House candidates to run for office. Can’t wait to see what other electoral victories 603 Forward’s candidates rack up in the Granite State!
Screenshot: Political Integrity Project’s Integrity Index website, which lets users see their Congressional leaders’ political contributions.
Shifting the Narrative: Want to Know Who in Congress is Taking Shady Money?
Investing in cool, impactful tech tools and narrative-shaping innovations is just one way we have expanded our scope to include different strategies since 2024. Alongside our investments in local organizing, MVP is supporting new-media work that can shift narratives, win hearts and minds, and embolden Democrats.
In news that will shock no one, many of our Congressional leaders are taking political contributions from unsavory supporters. Now, you can track that shady money with MVP partner Political Integrity Project’s new website, Integrity Index. The new website lets users see which Congressional leaders have taken the Political Integrity Pledge and which ones made the Top 10 Sellouts list by taking money from the likes of AI-linked super PACs and the crypto industry.
Give it a whirl, and see where your elected leaders stand on the too-much-money-in-politics game. It just might inform your vote this year.
Screenshot: Maine People’s Alliance emergency protest on March 7, demanding “No War with Iran!”
Political Updates and Hot Takes
Here’s a snippet of what MVP is keeping a political eye on, with, of course, our opinions included. 😎
“War! What is it Good for? Absolutely Nothing.”
That’s what Edwin Starr sang in 1970, and what many Americans think today about Trump’s illegal, unnecessary war in Iran. According to PBS, more registered voters oppose U.S. military action in Iran than support it. It’s unclear what the goals of the war are and how long it will last — even Trump himself can’t figure it out, and it’s his war.
It’s clear this unjust war, which has already killed too many innocent people and sent gas prices through the roof, must end. Take action with MVP partner Indivisible to contact your Congressional leaders and demand they do everything they can to stop Trump’s war in Iran.
Screenshot: Politico reporting on how Democratic Attorneys General are preparing for potential election interference from the Trump administration.
Election Interference? Not on Our Watch.
Donald Trump is obsessed with elections … interference that is. Seizing voting records in Georgia and Arizona, threatening to nationalize elections, and stoking fears of ICE at polling locations (despite “assurances” that won’t happen) — we know this administration will do anything to claim victory in November, including keeping people from voting in the first place.
Across the country, efforts are already underway to stop Trump’s plans. Democratic Attorneys General are collaborating on scenario planning. MVP’s state-based partners, like LUCHA in Arizona, are successfully fighting back against potential voter intimidation by blocking legislation that would have allowed ICE at polling places. And organizations are mobilizing their constituents against the SAVE America Act (more on that below).
MVP is ready. Our new National Partnerships Team members (Alicia Jay and Kristee Paschall) are working closely with our state advisors and external partners across the country to assess threats, identify grantee partners on the frontlines of election protection and voting rights work, and provide election protection funds where they are needed most. One of the best things we can do is what we are doing now: support state partners in organizing and basebuilding at the scale needed to win elections by large margins.
Last but not least: Do you know who has a huge say in protecting free and fair elections? State-level officeholders. That’s why a core part of our 2026 electoral plan is to win key races for Attorney General (AZ, GA, MI, NV, WI, TX, OH), Secretary of State (AZ, MI, NV, WI, NH), and state Supreme Court (NC, WI). These offices can provide some of the best protection against Trump’s attacks on our voting rights, including: Administering elections fairly, blocking GOP gerrymandering, and pulling every legal lever possible to stymie interference by Trump and MAGA. These are under-the-radar races sometimes won by mere hundreds of votes, with enormous impact on the balance of power and the fate of our democracy.
Data Centers Got You Down? You’re Not Alone.
I’m a writer, so I have mixed feelings about ChatGPT, not only because a robot is now doing my job in so many places (sloppily, I might add 😏), but also because data centers — huge facilities needed to run artificial intelligence (AI), like ChatGPT — use a ton of energy, harm the environment, and drive up utility costs in surrounding areas. And I’m not alone. According to new polling by the Pew Research Center, more Americans think data centers cause more harm than good for the environment, home energy costs, and nearby residents’ quality of life.
Many MVP partners agree. From Georgia to Wisconsin, MVP partners are protesting, advocating, organizing, and recruiting candidates to run against data centers and for environmental and community protections. One thing’s for sure: data centers and their impacts will be top of mind as voters head to the polls this year.
Screenshot: NBC News reporting that even some Republicans know the SAVE America Act is unlikely to pass the Senate.
MAGA + Voter Suppression = A Match Made in Congress … Almost.
Trump and his vote-suppressing GOP pals are still trying to pass the SAVE America Act — the mega MAGA voter suppression bill we told you about in February. Recently passed in the House, the SAVE America Act is up in the Senate. But, for better or worse, the filibuster reigns supreme, and without a 60-vote majority, the Senate GOP won’t be able to pass what Trump sees as legislation critical to Republicans winning the midterms. In other words, the GOP can’t win unless they restrict voting access and create massive obstacles for millions of voters to register and vote, which is extremely on brand.
Bonus: The Senate GOP’s infighting is popcorn-worthy, with Republican Senator and top-Trump-regretter, Thom Tillis, calling the GOP debate on the bill “a circular firing squad.” This is the kind of division we love to see!
Gazillionaires Support Paying their Fair Share? You Bet.
In some of the best political news of the past month, states are making more and more progress on policies to tax the rich to fund programs and initiatives that will benefit working-class people. The best part: Some in the wealthy class are in support!
The New York Times recently featured MVP’s very own Marissa Hersh and other rich New Yorkers in favor of taxing the wealthy, which would include themselves, to pay for initiatives like universal child care. Washington state just passed its first-ever “millionaires tax,” and other states could soon follow suit.
At MVP, we take this good news personally. We see it as part of our mission to partner with those with wealth and support their courageous decisions to invest in a better, more just future, rather than in more inequality. We see you, MVP supporters, and we are grateful!
Solidarity with Farmworkers, Past and Present
On a much more somber note, MVP is alarmed and saddened by the news about Cesar Chavez and the abuses he perpetrated against women and girls. There is absolutely no place for this kind of behavior in our movements.
MVP stands in solidarity with farmworkers, past and present, who put their bodies on the line so we can have food on our tables. This year, in our internal team calendar, we have changed March 31 to Farmworker Solidarity Day in honor of Dolores Huerta and the thousands of farmworkers who sacrificed so much to fight for dignity and justice. We are following the lead of our California and Latine partners for how we move forward.
Graphic: No Kings 3 Kick Off Call tonight, March 19 at 8 pm ET / 7 pm CT / 6 pm MT/ 5 pm PT.
Our Movement Is Making Moves
What you need to know about our movement for change. 🚀
- Who listened to Trump’s SOTU? Not us. On February 24, Trump gave his first official State of the Union address to Congress, but guess who was not watching? MVP and many of our partners and allies. Not only did we not watch, but we were also flipping back and forth between so many powerful alternatives. ICYMI, check them all out here: MoveOn, Working Families Party, and COURIER Newsroom + Defiance.org.
- No Kings 3!! No Kings 3 is just nine days away. Last year, millions of us showed up to say “no” to authoritarianism and Trump — let’s do it again, bigger, bolder, and badder than before. Don’t have your protest, rally, or march plan yet? All good. MVP is a proud No Kings 3 partner, and the No Kings website has you covered with where to find an action near you. Join the No Kings 3 Kick Off Call TONIGHT to get involved!
- Sharpen your electoral organizing skills: Tomás Garduño, Senior Organizing Strategist with MVP partner Addition Collective Action Fund, just released a new booklet titled the Fundamentals of Electoral Organizing. Billed as “a guidebook for working-class people who want to organize other working-class people in our shared interests of building political power,” Fundamentals of Electoral Organizing is sure to teach all of us a little something (or a lot!) about our movement.
Photo: Alliance for Youth Action organizers registering voters.
Take Action with MVP and Our Partners
Ready to get involved? Check out how to plug into our work and take action with MVP and our partners. 📣
- Attend an MVP 101 Session: Whether you’re new to MVP or have been with us from the start, it’s always great to get the basics on what MVP is up to — especially in a year like 2026 when the stakes are high, and the changes are frequent. Our next MVP 101 session is on April 15. Celebrate getting your taxes done by learning about MVP!
- Learn directly from youth leaders: MVP partner Alliance for Youth Action is hosting a briefing focused on building the future young people deserve. Hear directly from youth organizers on the ground about the work they are leading and what’s needed to win this year.
- One more No Kings 3 plug: Because we really, really, really want to see our MVP community out in these streets on March 28, we are making one extra plug to get involved in No Kings 3! We have to continue the drumbeat against authoritarianism and the Trump regime, and No Kings 3 is a great and (fun!) way to do it. Find a No Kings 3 event, attend a training, and spread the word!
Screenshot: A still from Minnesota Emergency: Organizers vs. ICE (the Inside Story) — a film produced by our 501(c)(4) sibling, Movement Voter Project.
Making the Revolution Irresistible
Following in the footsteps of artist, author, and activist Toni Cade Bambara, we aim to bring you a bit of revolutionary joy each month that helps us recommit to building a better future. 🤩
This month: Minnesota.
We are so proud to share Minnesota Emergency: Organizers vs. ICE (the Inside Story) — a film produced by our 501(c)(4) sibling, Movement Voter Project.
Minnesota has been ground zero for showing the country what resisting ICE, CBP, and federal occupation of our cities can look like. In the midst of extreme devastation and harm, Minnesota organizers were ready, thanks to years of investment in and coordination amongst the state-wide organizing ecosystem.
This short film showcases the courageous and strategic organizing efforts of MVP partners, including Faith in Minnesota, and all that they have done to protect their communities and get ICE out of Minnesota. We hope it brings you as much joy, inspiration, and pride as it’s brought us.
Enjoy — and can’t wait to hit your inboxes next month!
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