It happened. It finally happened. The blue tsunami that many had predicted, hoped for, and prayed for finally happened. Weeks before November 3rd, I saw the same polls you did, yet remained cautiously optimistic. Because we had all seen this movie before, right? Far too many times, Lucy had jerked the football away from us at the last minute. But this time, things went according to plan, and the good guys (for the most part) finally won.
Congratulations on the hard work, and it is time to take a moment and sip (or even chug) that champagne because this feeling is long overdue. And one thing is for certain: we all have to fight like hell to make sure this isn’t a once-in-a-half-century kind of moment. As I was telling a friend in South Carolina earlier this week. You can't let your foot off the gas in the World Series just because you won Game 4, 11-0, after losing the first three games.
Over the past couple of decades, I’ve noticed Democrats tend to get complacent and arrogant after they win, and my friends, we cannot afford to become either of those things. The establishment finally got the memo, recruited the right candidates, and ran with the right messaging. So please, let’s not screw up this opportunity to bring the country back from insanity. After November 3rd, I saw people post, “The national nightmare is over.” That’s the mentality that got us to where we are and elected Trump TWICE! We don’t end the nightmare with one amazing cycle, no matter how amazing it is. Pendulums swing back and forth, as we all know, and while the nightmare became less scary, Freddy Krueger is still the Dreammaster.
So, what now? Do we take our trophies, go home, and come back when it is time to report for the next cycle? Absolutely not, because that’s how complacency starts. The freshman class of Congress who raised money eight hours a day now have to match that feat while also performing their congressional duties (though, granted, it will be a helluva lot easier). And newly elected officials at the state and local level who didn’t fundraise that much will have to learn how to raise competitive money if they want to keep their seats longer than one term.
Another easy leap of judgment is to further abandon and ignore the red states. It’s easy to take on the mentality that “If you didn’t win this cycle, then you will never win.” That, too, is a counterproductive and short-sighted strategy. Many of you probably saw the post below floating around after Election Day, after several former red states turned blue.
That kind of mentality and state shaming is not helpful and encourages the type of elitism synonymous with the Democratic Party. Because let’s please all be clear on one thing . . . The blue tsunami didn’t happen because all of a sudden people woke and decided they wanted to wave the flag of Democrats. Yes, it did fire up the base, but you don’t flip statewide races in Iowa, Texas, South Carolina, and Mississippi by simply firing up the base. And in many of those blue states pictured above, the statewide candidates actually ran away from the Democratic Party and painted themselves instead as bipartisan independents.
Rather than shunning or demoralizing states or districts where Democrats were not successful, let’s take the lessons learned and apply them there. I was an integral part of a congressional campaign in West Virginia where the Democrat earned 40%, ten percent better than the Democrat two years ago. And we did that with a shoestring budget. Don’t get me wrong; I understand nationwide politics and the importance of allocating resources strategically in order to win, but I also think it is important not to thumb our noses up places where the Party still has work to do.
I worked in a couple of red districts in South Carolina and West Virginia this cycle, and let me tell you, those Democrats are hungry. And those Independents are also open to a bipartisan message beyond identity politics and purity tests. Candidates currently running in those districts just don’t have the funds or national party support to do so. I'm not saying we should prioritize North Dakota over Ohio, but we can’t ignore them altogether.
My candidate in West Virginia received one call from the DCCC, and it was to ask him for money. Something is intrinsically wrong with an entity that cannot even acknowledge or send a congratulatory email to its nominees in every district. And that's the very least they could do. These candidates aren’t asking for a million dollars or any money at all, just common courtesy for having the courage to put their name on the ballot.
So, again, now what? Well, if you are a candidate who was unsuccessful this cycle, I’d like to hear from you, even if it is just to vent and get some things off your chest. And if you or someone you know is looking to run in 2027 or 2028, I’d love an opportunity to speak with you further because, again, it took too long for good to prevail. Gaining power isn’t enough on its own. To ensure a better world for future generations (or maybe even any sort of world at all), the powers of good must have staying power.
Again, congrats to all the winners and everyone on your teams (including the ones I was fortunate enough to be a part of). Take that victory lap, and smile a little more over the holiday months. But remember, there is no such thing as a real offseason when it comes to politics.
Want to grab a time to chat? Click here to schedule a window, email me at monica@workhorsestrategies.com, or shoot me a text at 828-460-0877. We can chat about your last run, your first run, or the latest documentary on the Coral Reefer band. I’m always open to learning from others because none of us does this alone.
Awevo!
Monica Biddix
Founder and Principal, Workhorse Strategies
