Dear friends and allies -
Welcome to the August edition of the MVP newsletter — The Power Move 💪💪🏽💪🏿.
Do you remember where you were on November 4, 2008? I do. Because it was one of the greatest nights of my life.
I was in Washington, DC at the intersection of 14th and U Streets — the epicenter of DC’s Black arts and culture district — celebrating at an impromptu sidewalk dance party as stopped cars clogged the streets and strangers hugged and high-fived each other.
Barack Obama had just won the presidency.
With the help of a multiracial coalition, the grassroots social movements of that era, and an electorate sick and tired of the status quo, voters elected a young, Black, community organizer with the middle name “Hussein,” who many thought couldn’t beat a well-known, long-serving, white GOP Senator from Arizona.
I rode my bike from U Street down to the White House, weaving in and out of traffic as people hung out of their car windows, hollering and basking in the joy of the moment. At the White House, I had to stop pedaling as the crowd — which stretched all the way to the Lincoln Memorial — was thick with revelers showing tears of joy, expressions of relief, and ear-to-ear smiles.
Scenes like this popped up across the country as we collectively celebrated our country’s first Black president, who bucked the Democratic establishment and who many feared wasn’t “electable” enough to win.
The question of electability wasn’t unique to 2008. It has come up in nearly every election cycle in recent memory, and this year is no different. The debate over what brand of Democrat — progressive or moderate — can win this November is in full swing. Many have shared understandable concerns that more progressive Democratic candidates could lose in November, especially in our current era of hyper-partisanship.
The fears are real. We must win in November. The stakes of the midterms are enormously high. We are laser-focused on doing everything we can to get there, and we are also prioritizing building and expanding a “big-tent” movement with space for moderates, progressives, and donors, organizers, and candidates in between who want to get in the fight with us this November and beyond.
Because it’s not about any one candidate. It’s about believing in what a big-tent, people-powered movement can achieve. As this AP article puts so plainly: Democratic voters want real change.
Democratic voters want real change.
They want change, obviously, from the current authoritarian Trump regime, but they also want change from the Democratic Party establishment. They want a government that will actually deliver. (See our Plan to Embolden Democrats.)
Black voters in the South are pissed over racial gerrymandering and ready to turn anger into action at the polls. Young people who may have been turned off by politics — and the Democratic Party in particular — are now energized and turning out for Democratic candidates. (How long have we been saying we need to win young people, especially in the face of Turning Point USA and Prager U? Now, it’s happening!) And new research from Data for Progress shows that taxing the rich, Medicare for all, and AI privacy protections — all policies championed by more left-leaning Democrats — are the top policies that will drive swing voters to support Democratic candidates in November.
MVP partners are harnessing this energy to mobilize voters for Democrats of all stripes up and down the ballot, and to grow our movement and renew a sense of hope for what is possible in our country during a deeply dark time.
(Learn more about our partners’ plans to flip the Senate at our Sept 10 national briefing. Register here.)
In the 2008 primaries, Obama lost Pennsylvania — a swing state with a sizable white, working-class population — to Hillary Clinton, an outcome often cited as a portent for what could happen if Obama became the nominee. In November, Obama won Pennsylvania by 11 points.
As he told a small crowd in Webster, IA in December 2007, “Do you believe in change? … Do you believe deep in your gut that we can do better than we’re doing? You know we can, and you have to trust that sense that we can do better because every generation is tested in this way and this is our moment to try to break out of the conventional wisdom and get something done.”
The midterms — and what follows — are our generational test. On November 3, 2026, I want to feel how I felt on November 4, 2008. And I want you to join me.
We’ve got 22 days until the start of early voting. We’ve got 68 days until Election Day. Let’s make it happen.
With “yes, we can” energy,
Annie
Annie Lipsitz, MVP Donor Communications Manager
(On behalf of the MVP team)
MVP Partners Doing What They Do Best 🏅
As primary season winds down, MVP partners have made it clear: It’s 👏All 👏About 👏 Organizing. From Alaska to North Carolina and Florida to Tennessee, our partners’ year-round work has helped to brutally rebuff GOP gerrymandering conventional wisdom, show MAGA the door, and set us up to win in November.
Photo: 907 Initiative holding GOP Senator Dan Sullivan accountable for being a “Yes Man” for the Republican Party.
Alaska: “Yes Man Dan” is a big-time “no”. 🙅🏻
Last week was Alaska’s “all-party” Senate primary where the top four vote-getters move on to the general election regardless of party affiliation. With two candidates named “Dan Sullivan” on the ballot and a real chance for Democrats to flip this Senate seat, it’s been a wild ride.
MVP partner 907 Initiative helped Mary Peltola — the Dem candidate with a great shot at flipping this seat — come out on top, besting GOP incumbent Dan Sullivan by 5.4 points.
907 Initiative got the jump on the 2026 election cycle early, launching their “Yes Man Dan” campaign last November right after Election Day. For nine months, they have kept a steady drumbeat about the harm of Dan Sullivan’s voting record as a “yes man” for the Republican Party at the expense of Alaskans’ well-being.
Wasting no time, 907 Initiative ran ads, launched social media campaigns, and held demonstrations to hold Sullivan accountable and make it clear to voters that he is not fighting for the solutions they need.
While Sullivan came in second, 907 Initiative’s “Yes Man Dan” campaign gave voters a clear choice, helping Peltola come out on top on primary Election Day.
Peltola will face off against Sullivan again in November, and her 5+ point primary lead puts a Democratic victory within reach. In the final months before Election Day, 907 Initiative will continue reminding voters of the power they have to create change when they go to the polls, and that “Yes Man Dan” is a big-time “no” for Alaskans.
Photo: Siembra NC organizing community members around the issues they care about.
North Carolina: It’s time to raise hell. 🔥
MVP partner Siembra NC knows the stakes this year, especially in a state like North Carolina that has a flippable U.S. Senate seat, a must-win U.S. House race, a critical state Supreme Court election, and dozens of competitive state legislative races Democrats need to win to block a veto-proof GOP supermajority. That’s why Siembra NC is raising hell with their new Team Hellbender canvassing program.
As Siembra explained in a recent newsletter, the concept is simple: “defend our elections by helping our endorsed candidates win with overwhelming margins … with too many votes to steal.” Just like MVP’s 2026 goal to make our midterm victories too big to rig, Siembra knows the best defense against election sabotage is a good offense: a wide margin of victory. Team Hellbender will help turn out Democratic voters in overwhelming numbers so the results can’t be disputed by desperate deniers of the MAGA variety.
While focused on state legislative races, Siembra’s work will also increase turnout for the all-important state Supreme Court race where we must re-elect Anita Earls, which will be pivotal to unrigging North Carolina’s wildly gerrymandered maps. (See this handy-dandy graphic from MVP partner Carolina Federation.)
The stakes couldn’t be higher. As friend of MVP and Democratic strategist Ben Wikler points out, the entire reason the GOP won the U.S. House in 2024 is that Democrats lost the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2023 by just a few hundred votes — enabling a U.S. House gerrymander that turned a 7-7 split congressional delegation into a 10-4 Republican majority.
Siembra NC and Team Hellbender are making sure that doesn’t happen again by turning out voters in overwhelming numbers to help their endorsed candidates win by margins that cannot be questioned. (Remember when the GOP contested 60,000 ballots for Allison Riggs in the 2024 state Supreme Court race? Too bad for them she still won!)
MVP’s 2026 goal is “too big to rig” for a reason. We and our partners refuse to let Trump and his acolytes retain power by interfering with our elections. And what better way to do that than raising hell to defend democracy and secure Democratic wins in a top swing state.
Lightning Round: Swinging for the Senate🏌🏽
MVP is targeting competitive 12 Senate races around the country that we need to win to flip the chamber this year. Check out our full Senate plan here, and some highlights of what our partners are up to below.
Bonus: Don’t forget to register for our "Swinging for the Senate” national briefing on September 10!
Ohio
In the face of the recent FBI raid on their offices, Ohio Organizing Campaign (OOC) is doubling down on their efforts to register voters and mobilize them to the polls for Democratic Senate candidate, Sherrod Brown. They are also beefing up their election defense efforts for what they know will be a tight, must-win race, ripe for Trump-led MAGA interference. OOC’s voter turnout game is part of making this race “too big to rig,” while they are also recruiting poll monitors and vote count observers to prepare for challenges at the polls.
Iowa
The Iowa Senate race between Democratic state legislator Josh Turek and GOP House Rep. Ashley Hinson is heating up. Just last week, Cook Political Report moved this race from “lean Republican” to “toss up,” and we think MVP partner Iowa Creator Corps has something to do with it.
Iowa Creator Corps has been deploying local Iowa creators to reach voters where they are: online. They have zeroed in on Hinson's defense of Atrazine, a cancer-causing pesticide used widely in Iowa, which may sound like a narrow focus, but it’s gotten a lot of traction online and in national political news. One creator’s video got 560,000 views on Instagram, which is a perfect example of how a little-known topic can work its way into voters’ social media feeds to help mobilize them to think twice before supporting Hinson for Senate.
Check out more Hinson “the more you know” creator content from Iowa Creator Corps here and here.
Texas
Last week, Cook Political Report shifted the Texas open Senate race between mild-mannered Democrat James Talarico and MAGA-addict Ken Paxton from “Lean Republican” to “Toss Up,” and a quick Google search yields dozens of headlines about Talarico pulling ahead in the polls.
MVP partners Texas Organizing Project PAC (TOP PAC) and Avow Texas have climbed aboard the Talarico Train, endorsing him here and here.
TOP PAC runs the largest, independent get-out-the-vote political field program in Texas, working across the state to engage voters on the issues they care about and mobilize them for candidates who will fight for what they need.
Avow Texas is the state’s leading reproductive justice organization, and their electoral work is focused on supporting candidates who will increase access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare, including abortion. In a state that was ground zero for abortion bans and criminalization after the fall of Roe (thank you, GOP Senate candidate Ken Paxton!), this work couldn’t be more important. Avow Texas is asking voters to pledge to vote for reproductive justice, including voting for reproductive rights champions, like Talarico.
Florida: Organizers force Moms for Liberty to go down – and out – in history. ✌️
It’s time to say bye-bye to Moms for Liberty — the MAGA standard bearers who have been pushing anti-LGBTQ+, anti-DEI, and anti-accurate history policies on school boards across the country. Last week, the Censorship Moms were handed a massive defeat in their own stomping grounds.
MVP partner Equality Florida Action PAC helped pro-public education, anti-censorship candidates sweep the Orange County school board elections in central Florida and flip the school board in Sarasota County — the birthplace of Moms for Liberty and an area that Trump won by 18 points in 2024.
Across the state, 81 percent of Equality Florida Action PAC-endorsed candidates for school board won or advanced to a runoff. In a press release, Equality Florida Action PAC Executive Director Joe Saunders attributed the victories to community-led organizing across the Sunshine State, saying “Every win was made possible by the people who showed up, organized their communities, knocked doors, made calls, and refused to give up on the Florida we know is possible.”
In addition to their ground game, Equality Florida Action PAC launched their largest-ever direct mail campaign, supporting pro-equality and pro-academic freedom candidates specifically aimed at defeating Moms for Liberty. Their multi-pronged approach paid off, securing victories that will have a huge impact in Florida classrooms, breaking the Mom’s right-wing stranglehold in the state, and building momentum ahead of November’s general election.
“OK, but why does this matter? We haven’t won Florida in years.” Good point. And precisely — we haven’t won Florida in years. The question is, how do we change that? And the answer is: By organizing communities, shaping the narrative, building the bench, and growing our political power from the grassroots on up.
Our right-wing adversaries know this intuitively and invest accordingly — why do you think Moms for Liberty got this far in the first place? — and it’s time for us to catch up. Not to mention the fact that winning back Florida and the South as a whole is not a nice-to-have, but a must-have … More on that next:
Graphic: Brennan Center for Justice, “How States’ Seats in the U.S. House Could Change After the Next Census”, 1/28/2026.
Across the South: Y’all means all. 🤝 🤝🏼 🤝🏾
With reapportionment of U.S. House seats and Electoral College votes looming large after the 2030 census, building and winning long-term power in the South is not a luxury, but a necessity. That’s why MVP is strategically investing in the South with a focus on the long-game, not just any one election cycle.
From Tennessee to Florida and everywhere in between, MVP partners across the South are working to elect Democrats of all backgrounds and political leanings in some hard-but-not-impossible-to-win races. They’ve put together a winning equation that — whatever the outcomes this November — will help transform the South for years to come:
Year-Round Organizing + A “Big-Tent” Movement
= Southern Political Power
Tennessee: Building political power no matter what. 📣
August 6 was primary Election Day in Tennessee, and MVP partners TIRRC Votes and The Equity Alliance Fund went all out in the newly GOP-gerrymandered 9th Congressional District to help Democrat Justin J. Pearson secure victory.
Earlier this year, Republicans in Tennessee split TN-09 — the state's only Democratic and Black-majority district — into three redrawn districts specifically to weaken Black voters’ power in the hopes of gaining a Republican seat in Congress.
Not so fast, said Pearson and our partners. Collectively, TIRRC Votes and The Equity Alliance Fund knocked more than 30,000 doors across the now-sprawling 200-mile district, persuading and mobilizing voters — primarily Black, brown, and immigrant voters — about why Pearson and his platform were best-positioned to meet voters’ needs. They also let voters know that, through gerrymandering, the GOP has been trying to dilute their power, effectively turning voters’ anger about redistricting into action at the polls.
While winning TN-09 is still an uphill battle, a W for Pearson this cycle is not the only way to measure progress.
Voters, especially Black voters, in Tennessee and across the South know what’s going on, and they are refusing to go along with the GOP’s conventional wisdom that racial gerrymandering is the path to voter suppression.
Whether or not Justin Pearson wins this election cycle isn't the (only) point. The point is to show that Black voters, in particular Black Democratic voters, will keep showing up no matter what vote-suppressing hurdles are thrown their way — and that we will bring about progressive governance and Democratic voting majorities in the South, no matter how many cycles it takes to get there. MVP partners are making sure of that.
Read more about how organizing is beating racial gerrymandering and why we need strong, sustained, broad movements across the South here.
Florida: Let the sunshine in … on organizing and “big-tent” building. 🎪
Last week in Florida, MVP partners helped Democratic candidates secure victory up and down the ballot. Angie Nixon won her long-shot primary election for U.S. Senate, while David Jolly clinched the Dem nomination for governor. And, as we mentioned above, Moms for Liberty got the boot in so many school board races.
Florida, like Tennessee, shows what’s possible when organizing groups have the resources they need to build political power and move voters to the polls.
Take Angie Nixon’s race, for example. As a New York Times headline put it: “The Left Notches Another Win With This Secret Weapon: Old-Fashioned Organizing.”
Organizing might be a “secret” weapon to some, but it’s not a secret to MVP and our partners. Our partners Florida for All, Florida Rising, and FLIC Votes all endorsed Nixon, pounding the pavement, knocking doors, and talking to voters about the issues they care about and Nixon’s platform to solve them. Meanwhile, Alex Vindman, her opponent, wildly out-fundraised her, but lost anyway … maybe because he was spending most of his time raising money and not talking directly with voters.
On the other side of the Democratic political spectrum, MVP partners like Equality Florida Action PAC endorsed the moderate David Jolly, who won his primary by a landslide to become Florida’s Democratic nominee for governor. A once Republican-turned-Independent-turned Democrat, Jolly has been outspoken about opposing the Trump agenda. Although the Cook Political Report rates this race a Solid R, Decision Desk HQ’s polling aggregation shows a narrow 4-point GOP advantage, potentially giving us our most viable opportunity to elect a Democrat to the governor's seat for the first time in 35 years.
These two statewide races in Florida demonstrate that a big-tent movement is possible: With the primary behind us, MVP partners’ job now is to turn out as many voters as we can to vote for as many Democrats on the ballot as we can, from progressive Angie Nixon to moderate and former Republican David Jolly. This kind of big-tent movement is not only possible; it’s how we build a Democratic, left-leaning coalition across voters, organizers, and candidates that can win up and down the ballot this November and for years to come.
Takeaway: Don’t fall for the pundits’ false “left-center” binary.
As friend-of-MVP and movement organizer Yasmin Radjy, Executive Director of Swing Left, points out based on actual conversations with voters, voters in states like Florida, or Michigan, or Wisconsin, or Georgia, or Tennessee aren’t thinking in terms of “moderates” vs.”progressives.”
“They are looking,” Yasmin says, “candidate by candidate, for who understands their lives and who actually shows up for them. … The left-center binary that dominates the punditry traps us in fights voters aren’t having. We win by understanding voters as they actually are: idiosyncratic, sometimes contradictory, and ready for leaders who will fight to effect real, material change.”
The left-center binary that dominates the punditry traps us in fights voters aren’t having.
This is exactly what MVP partners in Florida — and elsewhere — are doing. Talking to voters, listening to their concerns and the solutions they want to see, and talking about the candidates who will take action on their behalf: Angie Nixon and David Jolly.
Summer Special, Part 3: What’s Hot at MVP? 😎
The dog days of summer are no match for MVP! Whether it’s the balmy late summer sun in Wisconsin, the crisp Pacific Northwest air in Seattle, or the sizzling temps of MVP’s growing social media presence, everything is heating up at MVP, especially with just 68 days left until November 4.
Photo: MVP Wisconsin State Advisor Reema Ahmad pep-talking MVP partner Voces de la Frontera Action on Wisconsin’s primary Election Day.
Wisconsin: MVP here, there, and everywhere on primary Election Day. 🛴
August 11 was primary Election Day in Wisconsin, and MVP’s Wisconsin State Advisor and powerhouse organizer Reema Ahmad spent the day checking in on MVP partners.
Reema stopped by Voces de la Frontera Action’s office where she was invited to give organizers, volunteers, and staff an Election Day pep talk before they started phone banking for their endorsed candidates. She also went to our partners’ Election Protection HQ, offering moral support as the rapid response network was busy mobilizing observers and getting the word out about the possibility of police at polling sites in Sheboygan County.
Reema’s Election Day tour is just one example of how MVP staff are on the ground, working with our partners all year long. MVP’s team of state and regional advisors make sure our partners have that financial bag, but they also provide strategic guidance, leadership development, and, yes, even pep talks.
This collaboration is not a special service or an exception; it’s a core part of our mission, theory of change, and organizational values. In addition to funding the movement, MVP helps shape it, following the leadership of our partners on the ground and providing comprehensive support when and where they need it.
Photo: MVP Atlanta Donor Organizing Hub hosting a fundraising house party with special guests John Taylor III and DK Paxton with MVP partner Black Male Initiative and MVP Georgia State Advisor Jordan Brown.
Georgia: Here’s what the donor organizing hubbub is all about. ✨
This summer, the Peach State has been bumping with MVP’s newly formed Atlanta Donor Organizing Hub. Before we dive into the details, here’s a bit of context for those of you newer to MVP:
One thing that makes MVP unique is our robust, effective, and ultra-fun Donor Organizing Program, where volunteers organize donors in their own communities to support MVP and our partners. In some areas including the SF Bay Area, eastern and western Massachusetts, Washington State, and now Atlanta, volunteers have organized their own hubs where they lead gatherings, events, and fundraisers — including MVP’s signature house parties. (Check out the next section to learn more and see how you can get involved in our Donor Organizing Program!)
Now, back to Atlanta. The new-but-growing Hub hosted their second house party of the summer in late July. There were about 25 people in attendance, including MVP’s Georgia State Advisor, Jordan Brown, our new Donor Community Advisor, Samantha Daley, and Georgia State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver who spoke to the importance of MVP partners’ work in the state.
Speaking of MVP partners, the event featured guests John Taylor III and DK Paxton from Black Male Initiative. John and DK gave attendees an inside look at what year-round organizing in Georgia looks like and why engaging Black men and helping them understand their political power is critically important for winning the midterms.
The ATL Hub is capping off the summer with two more house parties featuring MVP partners. Their work is part of our ongoing effort to grow the MVP community, especially our base of donors who are helping increase the funding pie for our partners’ work.
The Internet: The MVP social media upgrade you didn’t know you needed. 🤳
MVP has (re)entered a new era — the digital era, hiring a savvy Digital Communications Manager, Ottavia Lezzi, in June. In her first two months on the job, Ottavia has been doing everything from enhancing our website, to making it easier to find MVP in our new AI internet search world when people ask “where do I donate,” to, you guessed it, improving our social media presence so it’s easier for donors like you to find info and updates about us and our partners.
Just like our partners do when engaging community members, we have to meet people where they are, and that includes online. By building out this aspect of MVP’s communications program, we can expand the MVP community. The goal: A bigger community that’s well-informed about MVP and our partners’ work and motivated to invest again and again. (No pressure, Ottavia!)
For now, we want to make it easier for you to follow what we are up to and learn more about our partners and the incredible work they are leading. So, if you aren’t already following us on social media, it’s time to start!
As we like to say: Turn down the doom + dial up the hope. Check us out, and follow us everywhere right now!
Photo: MVP donor organizing volunteers and staff at a summer house party for MVP in New York.
Take Action with MVP 🎯
Friends - early voting for the midterms starts in 22 days. That’s only two hands and half a foot of counting! If you’ve been waiting to plug in or are ready to turn it up, we’ve got the opportunities for you.
September 9: Fall House Party Campaign Kick Off
You just read about (and you will read more below!) how impactful and rewarding MVP’s Donor Organizing Program is, now it’s time for you to get in on the fun. Join our Donor Organizing Team and volunteers on September 9 for our Fall House Party Campaign Kick Off to learn how you can help spread the word, fundraise for MVP and our partners, and help win the midterms. RSVP »
September 10: National Briefing - Swinging for the Senate
The current GOP-controlled Senate has confirmed Trump’s disastrous judicial picks, pumped billions of dollars into immigration enforcement, and refused to hold Trump accountable for his assaults on our democracy. On September 10, join MVP for our next national briefing: Swinging for the Senate. You’ll hear from MVP staff and our partners in Texas and Maine — two must-win Senate states — to learn how we plan to flip the chamber and block the MAGA agenda. RSVP »
September 15: Democracy at a Crossroads - A Conversation with Ken Burns
On September 15, MVP’s volunteer-led Legal Community for Democracy (LC4D) is hosting “Democracy at a Crossroads: History, Power, and the Fight Ahead: A Conversation with Ken Burns” — a virtual event to hear about what we need to do to win in November. Yes, you heard that right: legendary filmmaker Ken Burns! RSVP »
Volunteer Opportunities
Looking for even more ways to take action? Check out MVP’s Take Action webpage to learn how to organize donors with MVP, get out the vote, and protect our elections.
Photo: MVP’s Washington State Donor Organizing Hub at a recent gathering to celebrate their accomplishments and plan their fundraising campaigns for the rest of the 2026 election cycle.
A Moment of Movement Joy
We love bringing you good news and inspiration from around our movement. This month’s Moment of Movement Joy comes directly from MVP’s Donor Organizing Program. Maybe it will even motivate you to get involved!
MVP donor organizing: where fundraising, volunteering, and (occasionally) sing-a-longs meet. 🎸
Last week, the Pacific Northwest was rocking and rolling with MVP’s Washington State Donor Organizing Hub. The Hub gathered 20 people on a Sunday afternoon, including Hub leadership and a few new volunteers, to strategize about how to carry their 2026 momentum into the fall.
MVP’s very own Burke Stansbury, Philanthropic Advisor and Seattle native, was on hand to provide an update on what MVP is doing to meet the midterms moment. Hub leader Rob Beem talked about the Hub’s accomplishments so far this year, namely raising $500,000 (!) for MVP and our partners through their house party campaign.
The Hub decided to cap election season off by hosting a big Seattle fundraiser in early October that will not only raise money but expand the Hub’s network to bring more people into the MVP community.
They ended the gathering with a whole-group sing-along led by Hub leader Becky Leibman, who re-wrote the lyrics to The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” to a catchy, MVP-donor-organizing-specific tune. All together now:
I just sent another email.
I just made another phone call.
Little by little together,
It’s a good way to carry the ball.
You can’t always get what you want,
but if you try sometime, you just might find,
you get what you need.
OK y’all, that’s a wrap for this month’s Power Move. Now let’s go get what we want and need this fall: A Democratic victory that is too big to rig!
