As we wrap up the year, we’ve also been thinking about what it means to make progress even when the outcome isn’t what we hoped for. Many of us were disappointed that Aftyn Behn didn’t win her special election for Congress in Tennessee (CD-7). But she made up significant ground in a deeply gerrymandered red district, the kind of place where Democrats rarely come close. Her margin of improvement would be enough to win in many of the districts that will be on the map for us in 2026. That matters. Momentum matters.

We are grateful for the big things: hundreds of thousands of postcards we wrote together this year; for our Giving Circle, which raised almost $120,000 and helped fuel the flipping of 13 House seats in Virginia; for voters who showed up in record numbers this November to have their voices heard; for the 7 million of us who showed up for the No Kings protest; for the women journalists who continue to do their jobs with courage despite the horrific abuse they endure; for the Epstein survivors whose persistence and resistance remind us what strength looks like; and for the lower courts that are still holding the line and upholding the Constitution when it matters most.

Across the country in blue, red, and purple areas alike, voters turned out and delivered a Blue Wave of 2025. From state legislatures to local races, our collective grassroots efforts helped Democrats win big and advance the values we fight for every day.

No Thrones, No Crowns, No Kings

This is what authoritarianism looks like. And this is when we show the world what democracy looks like.

On October 18, we march. Wherever you are, march! If you can’t march, bring a chair. What matters is that we show up in the streets, in our towns, shoulder to shoulder to remind everyone that in America, we don’t do kings. Power belongs to the people.

These past weeks have been hard on our country, and it’s easy to feel weighed down by the headlines. But even in the roughest moments, there are sparks of light. Freedom of speech is still alive; if you haven’t seen Jimmy Kimmel’s stirring defense of it, we hope you’ll take a moment to watch. And thanks to everyone who canceled (or threatened to cancel) their Disney+ accounts or wrote to Bob Iger.  As Robert Hubbell wrote:  “Disney caved to pressure from the American people and allowed Jimmy Kimmel to return to his late-night comedy show. Let’s be clear: Kimmel’s return is a victory for the resistance in its defense of the Constitution. The victory teaches us a powerful lesson that we must internalize and replicate at every opportunity: Together, there is nothing we cannot do.” 

This is a heavy moment. The killing of Charlie Kirk and the rhetoric that excuses or even condones political violence against Democrats is frightening and wrong. We’re already in a dark place, and violence only takes us deeper. That is not who we are or what we’re here for. Our purpose is to build community and to save democracy, shoulder to shoulder.

This week, Adelita Grijalva won the Democratic primary in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District special election, a powerful reminder of why we stay focused on the work, even when the media tries to pull our attention elsewhere.

As we gather this week to celebrate the Fourth of July, a day rooted in the promise of inalienable rights and self-governance, it’s worth remembering that our democracy is not self-sustaining. It depends on each of us showing up to protect and advance the very freedoms we celebrate.

New York City uses ranked choice voting, which means you can rank up to five candidates in order of preference. We urge you to fill in all five slots. With so many candidates in the race, chances are there are at least five you’d be comfortable seeing in office. By ranking all five, you ensure your voice carries through multiple rounds if your top picks are eliminated early.

We have the chance this year to gain a Democratic trifecta in Virginia to stand as a bulwark against Trump and his MAGA extremism. If Democrats can maintain a majority in both chambers and retake the governorship, they will be able to pass a slate of proposed constitutional amendments that would enshrine voting rights, reproductive freedom, and marriage equality in the Virginia State Constitution. In 2023, control of the House was decided by just 975 votes; with your help, we can expand our margins in 2025 and set an example for the nation as we move into the 2026 midterm elections.

We were honored to host a powerhouse doubleheader on our Zoom featuring Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler. Both brought fire, focus, and the kind of clarity that fuels movements.

Great News! All of the school board candidates we wrote postcards for in Texas WON on May 4! These postcard campaigns came straight from our Markers For Democracy postcard portal — Postcards For Democracy — and your handwritten messages made a real difference in these critical, often overlooked local elections.  

take a look at our new "protest resources"

We are the firewall! Mass movements change history.

New Indivisible chapters are forming across the country daily as people refuse to sit on the sidelines. Protesters are showing up in the streets, raising their voices for justice. Each week, our Zooms are filled with people who come to hear from candidates committed to public service for the right reasons and others who simply want to be in community with people who care.

These are turbulent times, and some days (like Friday afternoon in the Oval Office) fill us with despair for our country and the world. There are concrete actions you can take today to make a difference. Whether it’s protecting democracy in Pennsylvania, supporting a grassroots candidate in Wisconsin, standing with Ukraine, or showing up for science and truth, your efforts matter and we’ve made it easy to get started.

It’s impossible to ignore how overwhelming things feel right now. For those of us in NYC, this week was particularly rough as we saw our mayor's corruption and quid pro quo deal with Trump lead to the courageous resignations of at least 7 principled prosecutors. Every American with a passing knowledge of 20th-century history was appalled by the spectacle of the Vice President insulting our allies and courting the Nazi-friendly AfD party at the Munich Security Conference.

Amid the frustration and grief, there are bright spots. Democrats are finding their voices, loud, clear, and uncompromising. We’ve heard it this week from Governor Pritzker, Senator Murphy, and Attorney General Tish James. And we saw proof of what’s possible when we fight: in Iowa, a Trump +21 district flipped blue in a special election, a reminder that Democrats can and do win when we organize and show up. (And Markers For Democracy did show up by writing postcards for the Democratic candidate, Mike Zimmer).

Many of us are asking the same question: What can we do? The answer is to come together and fight back, starting with defending the Virginia House of Delegates, which is up for election in 2025. While billionaires funnel millions into Trump’s agenda, we have the power to push back by pooling our smaller donations to make a big impact. This is where we, as members of Markers For Democracy, can continue our fight and resistance.