Progressive Leaders React to Current Election Results

By MoveOn. Wednesday, November 9 2022

Washington, D.C – In response to the current state of the midterm election results, leaders from progressive organizations issued the following statements:

“This was supposed to be MAGA’s triumphant night. It turned into a massive embarrassment. While we’re still awaiting final results, the overall picture is clear: Democrats massively performed the midterm fundamentals. Voters don’t like anti-abortion zealots.  Voters don’t like election deniers. Voters don’t like Trump. And voters don’t like MAGA.Trump lost more than 40 seats in his first midterm. Obama lost more than 60. Clinton over 50. Indivisibles and grassroots volunteers across the country prevented a MAGA wave and defied history in the process. MAGAs are going to continue their assault on our elections and our rights. But this midterm we showed the world: there are more of us than there are of them. And we will win.”
— Ezra Levin, Indivisible

“The Democrats’ victories were powered by organizers and voters—the people ignored by incessant horse-race political reporting. Our people are driven by their belief in democracy at its most fundamental level – not the abstract invocation of democracy as a concept, but the real, messy democracy that allows us to build a society where everyone can thrive. They are focused on building power for low income people of color to truly build a multi-racial democracy that works for everyone. Invest in the people and organizers who are building the future we deserve. Voters got a taste of people-first economic policies that Dems put forward over the last two years, and reaffirmed that vision as the path forward. Voters will have your back when you give them something to believe in.”
– Lorella Praeli, Co-President of Community Change Action

“Last night, Democrats defied political gravity and had the most successful midterm election in a president’s first term in office in 20 years. Voters turned out in droves in support of Democrats who passed bold policies to address the needs of the American people and who are committed to protect our freedoms to reproductive healthcare and our right to vote. There are still many races yet to be called and we need to ensure that every vote is counted. But we are waking up in a country that once again saw a broad and diverse coalition come together to reject the dangerous MAGA movement and its attacks on us and our nation. And that is a big win.”
– MoveOn Political Action Executive Director Rahna Epting

“Confronted with a crisis, voters across the country chose reproductive freedom over fear wherever they had the power to decide last night. In Michigan, Kentucky, California, and other states voters supported ballot initiatives to protect the right to abortion and contraception or defeated efforts to restrict reproductive freedom. And in key battleground states, Democrats committed to reproductive freedom won huge victories. There are more results to come in, but we should be proud of the work we’ve started, and look ahead to make sure we protect and build on our gains.”
– Mini Timmaraju, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America

“Record breaking turnout, including among women and women of color, sent a powerful, hopeful message that voters will show up to protect our rights and democracy, and see voting as a vehicle to make a real difference for our families and our future, to protect what matters to us and reject what will harm us. Domestic workers mobilized in unprecedented numbers to vote for candidates who care about protecting women, working families and the caregivers who support us. 

We must continue to count every vote. We believe in the power of the millions who made a plan, overcame voter suppression and showed up to vote. We know the issues women and women of color care about will continue to motivate voters and we are committed to continuing the work to make progress on these issues and ensure a healthy democracy where all of our voices are heard.” 
– National Domestic Workers Alliance Executive Director, and Senior Advisor to Care in Action, Jenn Stowe

“What we know for certain is that Care in Action’s strategy of building the political power of  women of color in the Sunbelt region and Michigan is mission critical to winning and building power long term. Without women of color, the razor thin margins we needed to seize key elections would be lost. Care in Action made over 12 million voter contact attempts this year across seven states through door knocking, phone banking, text messages, direct mail to voter households, and hosting life-changing community care events in areas that are too often left behind – all of which focused on Black, Latina, Indigenous, and AAPI women. And for the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff: while Georgia is grieving a hard electoral loss this morning of our forever-leader Stacey Abrams, Georgia organizers are ready to clinch a run-off win to re-elect Senator Warnock. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.”  
– Care in Action Executive Director, Hillary Holley

“When abortion is on the ballot, we win. Abortion access and reproductive freedom supporters are the majority, and we sent a clear message: Politicians have no place in our personal medical decisions. Voters want candidates who are bold fighters for their reproductive health and rights, and politicians who attack abortion access or any of our freedoms represent a radical fringe movement — not the will of the people. 

“This fight is far from over and it will take more than one election to undo the harm caused by the Supreme Court’s devastating decision that allowed state politicians to ban abortion. But policy makers have been warned: they need to stay out of our doctor’s offices.”
– Jenny Lawson, Vice President of Organizing and Engagement Campaigns, Planned Parenthood Action Fund

“Working people and voters of color turned out and made the difference in defying expectations in this midterm election, expressing their anger about corporations jacking up prices and holding down wages while making record profits, paying little-to-no taxes, and union busting. Even as the final balance in the House and Senate remains too close to call, workers’ votes represent a collective demand that can’t be ignored: elected leaders must act to hold corporations accountable, stand with workers fighting to win unions, and protect our freedom to make our own choices about whether to have children. The results so far are a rejection of disgusting race-baiting ads that played on fears about public safety and immigration, as voters turned out despite efforts to use race to divide us, voter suppression, gerrymandering, and attacks on our democracy.”
– Mary Kay Henry, International President, SEIU

“From the beginning, progressives refused to accept the inevitability of a ‘red wave.’ We believe that voters reward parties that fight for people’s material needs and their fundamental rights. We’re thrilled to be sending at least six WFP champions to Congress next session to continue the fight for working people, whether it’s defending Social Security and Medicare, safeguarding abortion rights or stopping climate change in its tracks. The lesson of 2022 is that when we deliver for working people, we can beat back right-wing authoritarianism and protect our democracy.”
– Maurice Mitchell, National Director, Working Families Party

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