| Dear Friend, To state the obvious, today is not the day any of us wanted, but despite that, we are so proud of the work you and this community do to power our movement and the values we share. Whether you worked for Harris/Walz, Senate, Congressional, state, or ballot measures campaigns or one of the many independent advocacy groups, unions, or democracy-focused organizations, we know you left it all out on the field. We’re grateful for Vice President Harris, Governor Walz, and their entire team, from Staff to the volunteers who powered her organization and efforts, and for the incredible progressive ecosystem of organizations that supported them. It’s been a very long 24 hours, and we’re going to avoid any detailed analysis of what went wrong and focus instead on recognizing that we’re all disappointed, that there is work to be done, and that after we’re done processing what happened, we’ve got to redouble our efforts to fight for the America we believe in. Look, things are going to be hard for a while. Trump has won the popular vote; he won white women, he got a more significant share of the Latino vote than any other Republican in a generation, he narrowed margins in rock-ribbed blue states like NJ and CT—he will be empowered. I think we have to recognize that the general public wants change, and they are going to get it with this choice, which will have far-reaching impacts and consequences that I’m not entirely sure they’re prepared for. We can’t bury our heads in the sand; we have to understand why we lost and try to remedy that, and that’s not about compromising our principles. Still, it’s about focusing on priorities and on what matters—the economy, civil rights, our environment, reproductive rights—all things that will be impacted by a Trump presidency and will present opportunities for our community to rebuild and make gains where it matters. This is our time to stand tall, not to stand down. In the coming weeks, GAIN Power will offer our Talent In Transition leadership development program and pipeline retention program, which is dedicated to campaign staff and activists preparing for their next opportunity and looking to scale up their professional skills. The events will be virtual and take place in the coming weeks. This programming is more critical than ever, and we need your help to ensure that our community’s future change makers continue to learn, grow, and be ready for the work that lies ahead. Join us. Be a part of rebuilding the way cycle staff is supported and developed following this election. You can support our programming TODAY with a donation and/or sponsorship and also by joining our new ‘Talent Task Force’, which will help shape and lead post-election pipeline and retention programs, events, and discussions going into the next cycle. In Power, Steph Noguera, Executive Director & Amy Pritchard, Founder, GAIN Power |
Today and Next Steps
