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Democrats Need More Than A Unifying Working Class Message To Win In 2026. [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-02-14
In the past few months we’ve all read a myriad of pieces dissecting what went wrong for Democrats in 2024. Every single one has come to pretty much the same conclusion:
Democrats have lost the trust and faith of the working class.
This is honestly a reasonable take. For years now, Democrats have struggled to promote meaningful legislative wins for working people or a comprehensive economic message that meets voters' daily concerns. In an age of rampant misinformation, unified and relevant messaging on a national scale is and will remain critical to winning elections for Democrats in the years to come.
It is also true, however, that the problem Democrats have goes much deeper than just messaging. As a party we have across the board abandoned grassroots organizing efforts, particularly in rural areas. We are not meeting voters where they are.
Let’s take Arizona as an example.
Under the previous leadership, the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) raised a stunning $30,998,923.92 in federal funds towards the 2024 election. Of this, just $300,000 in transfers were made to county parties. County parties are the primary vehicle the Arizona Democratic Party, or any state party, has for on the ground organizing. They are the primary vehicle by which kitchen table issues are addressed, canvasses are launched, and non-transactional community relationships are built. Yet, in terms of the greater ADP budget, they received peanuts. Instead, the ADP chose to spend the bulk of their coffers on advertising.
No one would deny the importance of advertising in an election, but it cannot be the whole sum of a voter outreach strategy. Arizona Democrats understand this, which led them elect entirely new party leadership this past January. We at NEAZ have always understood this, which is why we take an entirely different approach to building Democratic support. It is also why we focus on sovereign lands because most people in D.C. wouldn’t give tribal voters a second thought.
Our approach is designed to build community through relational organizing and mutual aid. We don’t work for candidates. We work for voters, and we do so year-round, not just in the 11th hour of an election cycle. Moreover, we get results. In 2024, when Arizona saw voter turnout decline, turnout in the tribal communities we work in increased by 1.6%. We are proud to say that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of our full impact, which you can read below. Our program is and should be the model for future Democratic organizing.
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It’s going to take more than a unified message to avoid the crippling loss of 2024 in 2026. However, a unified message AND a dedicated effort to meet voters where they are will get the job done every time.
You can help this become the model of Democratic organizing by helping us fund our expansion. When our leaders see the excitement Democrats have for a return to real, grassroots organizing, they will be more inclined to take that model on. Please give as generously as you are able towards future Democratic wins.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/14/2303704/-Democrats-Need-More-Than-A-Unifying-Working-Class-Message-To-Win-In-2026?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web
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