PRESS RELEASE | November 14, 2024

The Work to Rebuild Starts Now

Washington, D.C – Today, Swing Left, the leading grassroots organization dedicated to electing Democrats up and down the ballot, responded to the news that MAGA Republicans have won a federal trifecta with an urgent call to action: The work to rebuild starts now.

“Since Swing Left was founded in 2017, we have responded to grief, fear, and anxiety with strategic grassroots action. Right now, the losses feel much heavier than the wins. Still, in our country’s darkest chapters, people power has always been the path back into the light,” said Yasmin Radjy, executive director of Swing Left. “We will continue to focus our grassroots volunteers’ and donors’ energy toward one of the most effective, research-backed strategies to move elections on the margins: Long-term, year-round organizing. And that long-term organizing starts with the most immediate path to shift the balance of power: winning key state legislative and gubernatorial races in 2025 and 2026 and flipping the House in 2026.”

Swing Left’s leadership team will discuss the path forward with grassroots supporters on a virtual National Strategy Update on Tuesday, November 19 at 8 p.m. ET.

**If members of the media are interested in attending this virtual event, please email Nick Hutchins at [email protected] to RSVP.**

The work to rebuild will require long-term, year-round organizing. At Swing Left, that will begin with three immediate areas of investment:

  • Running through the tape on uncalled House races. Of Swing Left’s 42 targets in the House, candidates have won 20 seats. There are still several races outstanding, as of Thursday morning. Republicans’ House majority will be razor-thin. That means it is vital to win every Democratic seat possible–both from a defensive legislative perspective, and also to start the fight to win back the House in 2026 from a position of maximal strength. Swing Left has been encouraging its grassroots donors and volunteers to support outstanding races by investing in its Count Every Vote Fund, which has raised nearly $200,000 since Election Day for Swing Left target House candidates facing recounts and ballot cures.
    • This fund previously supported the campaigns of Kirsten Engel (AZ-06), Will Rollins (CA-41), Rudy Salas (CA-22), George Whitesides (CA-27) and Dave Min (CA-47).
    • The fund continues to support the ongoing efforts of the Adam Gray (CA-13) and Derek Tran (CA-45) campaigns.
  • Building and expanding state-level power in 2025 and 2026. Democratic majorities in state legislatures and governors will be a critical check on Trump. In 2025 and 2026, Swing Left will double down on its investments in Democratic state legislative and gubernatorial races. This work will build off of the state-level work it began in the 2020 cycle. After merging with the state-focused “resistance” organization Flippable in 2019, Swing Left became one of the largest bundlers for state legislative candidates.
  • Returning to Swing Left’s roots, fighting to Win Back the House in 2026. Swing Left’s founding goal was to direct grassroots volunteer and donor energy to the highest-impact races to win a House majority as the first line of defense against Donald Trump in 2018. In its inaugural cycle, Swing Left was the largest driver of volunteer shifts in the Democratic ecosystem and raised $25 million for competitive House candidates. In every cycle since, Swing Left has remained among the top forces of grassroots donor and volunteer momentum in competitive House races.

In several of the closest races in the House, Swing Left’s efforts had a tangible impact. In races that come down to the margins, volunteer efforts and donations can be the difference-maker in voter outreach and turnout.

  • In the election for the House seat in CA-27, for example, Swing Left’s grassroots donors and volunteers raised nearly $300,000 and knocked on nearly 20,000 doors to propel George Whitesides to victory in a race with a tentative margin of victory of only 3%.
  • In NY-04, Swing Left raised more than $200,000 and knocked on nearly 20,000 doors to help Laura Gillen win her extremely close race, with a tentative margin of victory of just 2%.
  • And in OR-05, Swing Left raised nearly $450,000 and knocked on more than 16,000 doors on behalf of candidate Janelle Bynum. Bynum’s race has yet to be called by the Associated Press, but she has a tentative lead of only 3%.

In the 2024 election cycle, Swing Left raised over $25 million to elect Democrats, including $16.98 million directly for candidates, grassroots organizing efforts, and state Democratic parties in the most competitive states and districts nationwide. Swing Left volunteers knocked on more than 1.6 million doors and made more than 3.4 million phone calls.