“Can’t even describe the vibe right now”
MVP friends!!
The energy right now is like… wow.
Join us tomorrow (Wednesday) for a celebratory briefing on the shift in the race – and how we go from underdogs to WINNING.
We will be joined by brilliant organizers and strategists you won’t want to miss:
- Lateefah Simon • Candidate for Congress •The Kamala I know
- Jenifer Fernandez Ancona • Way to Win • The strategy to support Kamala
- LaTosha Brown • Black Voters Matter Fund • What this means for Black voters
- Alex Gomez • LUCHA What this means for Latine and immigrant voters in Arizona
- Doran Schrantz • Faith in MN Action PAC • What this means for multiracial (incl. white) voters in the Midwest
- Maurice Mitchell • Working Families Party • Reflections on how we win
Over the past two days, the momentum has moved decisively in our favor. Now we have to make sure that energy translates into dollars, organizers, voters, and victory.
Vice President Kamala Harris has raised more than $250 million in under 48 hours – the most in history. She has won the support of a majority of Democratic delegates. Her early speeches have been electrifying. The internet is buzzing with Harris memes. 44,000 Black women joined a Zoom call on Sunday that lasted until midnight and raised $1.5 million. More than 20,000 Black men joined a Zoom call and raised over $1 million last night. There was even a call for white people with more than 10,000 showing up to defeat MAGA. All of this is record-smashing.
“It feels like Obama ’08 again.”
When news of Biden’s announcement reached a grocery store in Minnesota on Sunday, shoppers broke into spontaneous cheers, both in reverence for Biden in his decision – and in celebration. Audible shouts could be heard in urban areas. Strangers greeted each other on streets with smiles and fresh energy:
“It feels like Obama ‘08 again,” one organizer observed, breathlessly.
“I’m surprised by how hopeful and energized I feel,” reflected another who had been adamant that Biden should stay in the race. MVP partners are already coming out in droves to endorse Harris for President.
One of our staff just got this text from a Midwest organizer on the ground:
Text exchange with a midwest organizer after Biden endorsed Harris
After weeks and months of political agony and uncertainty, these are all extremely welcome signs.
To be clear: We should still assume that we are still underdogs in this race. Racism, sexism, and xenophobia are alive and well. Harris trails Trump in initial national and swing-state polls (but higher than Biden, and with greater chances to improve). Trump has a ton of momentum too, which we would be foolish to underestimate. The other side running a much stronger and smarter campaign than they ran in 2020. This fall we will likely see the largest voter turnout in American history: The electoral Battle Royale between MAGA dictatorship and liberal democracy. Aggregated polling will take a few weeks to become reliable. But the energy and enthusiasm on our side is already bursting at the seams.
As an organization that listened to our partners and took an unprecedented step of asking President Biden to pass the baton, the MVP team is deeply grateful to Biden for listening to his constituents, for his selfless, patriotic leadership, and for his wise decision. But we’re not taking a victory lap yet. We still have a mountain to climb to win this fall. But we definitely have some pep in our step and are newly hopeful that we will shock the world and win a governing majority this fall.
A lot will depend on what each of us chooses to do in the coming days and weeks.
Real talk: Will we step up and follow the lead of women of color – or will we screw it up?
Democratic enthusiasm is surging. Let’s make sure that translates into a surge of funding for the grassroots ground game!
Here are a few things we know:
- It’s going to be a close race in the swing states.
- If we mobilize our bases of young voters, voters of color, LGBTQ+ voters, and immigrant voters, we will win.
- Local organizers are the best voter mobilizers.
- They are deeply underfunded – it’s a problem!
We are thrilled the Harris campaign is on track to have the money it will need. Our job at MVP is to make sure that the hundreds of critical local, youth, and progressive voter engagement organizations we support have the necessary financial resources as well.
Right now MVP and our peers estimate that there is approximately a $500 million gap. But the return on investment is unparalleled.
Candidate campaigns – even the biggest, most exciting ones – quietly rely on the frontline, grassroots organizations that MVP funds to do most of the work of registering, educating, protecting, persuading, and getting out tens of millions of voters in Presidential, as well as House, Senate, and other key battlegrounds.
Democratic enthusiasm is surging. Let’s make sure that translates into a surge of funding for the grassroots ground game!
We are honored and thrilled to have you with us on this journey.
See you on the call – and spread the word!
Billy Wimsatt, MVP Executive Director
(On behalf of the MVP team)
ps. If you’re looking for things to do…
- Fund local organizing – our biggest investments ever!
- Rally your networks to do the same, and
- Get out the vote in swing states.
