The BAD news.

Sisters and Brothers -

THE BAD NEWS: Our campaign finance system is totally corrupt, and billionaires can spend as much money as they want to buy elections. Super PACs from AI, crypto, AIPAC and other special interests will be spending many hundreds of millions of dollars in the midterm elections to buy elections and protect their interests.

THE GOOD NEWS: Poll after poll shows that the progressive agenda is incredibly popular with the American people. They are disgusted with the massive level of income and wealth inequality that exists and want the billionaires in this country to pay their fair share of taxes. They understand that healthcare is a human right for all and not a privilege, and want to lower the outrageous cost of prescription drugs. They understand that we should not be spending huge amounts of money to fund unconstitutional and illegal wars, and they want to end U.S. military support for Israel. They want AI to be regulated and benefit all Americans, not just the billionaire owners of the industry.

And they are tired of establishment policies and tinkering around the edges. They want bold initiatives that will improve life for struggling working families, and not just benefit the 1%.

But it is not just the polls that show that.

From coast to coast, progressive candidates are taking on establishment candidates, and they are winning.

In California, Randy Villegas took on an establishment Democrat backed by the DCCC and won. And he won despite also facing more than $500,000 in outside spending from AIPAC.

Analilia Mejía, a labor organizer and grassroots activist, came from nowhere to win the Democratic primary and then a special election in a so-called “purple” congressional district in New Jersey.

Brian Poindexter, an ironworker and union leader, won a landslide victory in a Democratic congressional primary over establishment candidates in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District.

Bob Brooks, a firefighter and union leader — who we endorsed the day he announced his Congressional run in Pennsylvania — won a multi-way Democratic primary and is now running in one of the most contested districts in the country.

Let us not forget, Zohran Mamdani took on the entire Democratic establishment — including Senators from his own state, the Republican establishment, the President of the United States and the oligarchs of New York to win a resounding victory in our country’s largest city.

Abdul El-Sayed appears to have a lead in Michigan’s U.S. Senate race against a pair of establishment Democrats, both who have millions of dollars in outside spending beginning to ramp up.

Peggy Flanagan has a solid lead in her U.S. Senate race in Minnesota despite facing a significant financial disadvantage and millions of dollars in outside spending in her race.

And last night, Graham Platner — who has taken on virtually the entire Democratic Party establishment — won a landslide victory in his primary for United States Senate in Maine.

So. Where do we go from here? How, in this enormously important midterm election, do we take on the billionaires and their super PACs? How do we elect progressive candidates who will not only oppose Trump’s horrific policies but fight for the needs of a struggling working class?

There are two vitally important things that we must do:

First, we need to develop the strongest grassroots political movement in American history. They have the money, but we have the people. To win this election we’re going to have to mobilize millions of Americans to go door-to-door supporting candidates who are taking on the oligarchs and fighting for economic justice and the preservation of our democracy. Never forget that Zohran Mamdani won in New York City because his campaign put 100,000 New Yorkers into the street. We can and must make that effort in every state in the country.

Second, while we will never be able to compete against the hundreds of millions, or billions, of dollars that the super PACs will spend to try and defeat our candidates, we must provide our progressive candidates with as much financial support as we can through small-dollar donations.

Trust me. When you’re running a bare-bones campaign, $40,000 in small donations can make a real difference.

In that regard, I want you to think about what a different place the United States Senate would be with Graham Platner, Abdul El-Sayed, and Peggy Flanagan in it. Together, we could move the Senate in a VERY different direction than it is headed now.

All three of these Senate candidates, in Maine, Michigan and Minnesota are going to be facing a huge amount of outside spending over the next several weeks and months. They need our help. Let’s do it.