2026 Strategy

It is Up to uS

As this Administration heads into its second year, we’re now well aware of how badly it wants to dismantle every institution that protects and uplifts Americans. We’ve seen unprecedented assaults on programs that help our most vulnerable, in all 50 states and around the world. At Lean Left Vermont, we believe our government works for US, not for the millionaires and billionaires and the GOP/MAGA politicians who use our tax dollars to enrich themselves and gain more power.

So What Can we do?

We can fight like hell, on all fronts, in all ways. It’s not 2017 anymore. We have more than eight years of experience behind us, and we know what works.

  • We know that local organizing in red and purple states builds a strong, cohesive base that turns out at election time to vote for progressive policies and candidates.

  • We know that the only way Washington changes is to change who goes to Washington.

  • We know that working on behalf of pro-democracy groups and candidates in red and purple states helps Democrats and progressives move from local and state leadership roles to become our Congressional leaders. And we all know that what happens in Congress affects every single American.

  • We know that the GOP will do everything in its power to strip Americans of their right to cast a ballot—gerrymandering districts, introducing bills that make it harder for working people to vote, voter challenges, misinformation, and outright intimidation at the polls—and we know that protecting the vote is one of the most important ways we can take action in 2026.

We have the experience and the strength to stay focused on what we know makes a difference.

Our 2026 Plan

Lean Left Vermont will

  • continue to leverage the collective power of grassroots organizations that work to elect progressive candidates for local, state, and federal offices in our chosen states;

  • help Vermonters gain the tools they need to confidently engage in the necessary work to elect progressive leaders around the country;

  • build community among the many Vermont groups that rose after the 2024 election by providing education and resources for out-of-state work;

  • provide important ways Vermonters can take action on voter disenfranchisement, protecting voters rights, registering voters, and engaging new voters in the electoral process;

  • support independent media and reach out to voters via social media and print with fact-based information about the effects of policies coming out of Washington and their state legislatures, especially those related to vital bread-and-butter issues.

What can i do?

Grab a friend and attend one of our promoted Events. Sign up for one of our State Teams (below). Start your own Giving Circle. And keep an eye on the Take Action page for specific ways to support our states.

The States we’ll Support this year

New Hampshire

Dems won both U.S. House races—Hassan and Goodlander—in 2024, but Republicans increased their majority in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and retained the governorship. The little-known but powerful Executive Council remained under Republican control. Lean Left will be back to work in NH in late 2025. Sign up for the NH Team here.

North Carolina

2025 started with a doozy: Justice Allison Riggs ran and won her seat on the NC State Supreme Court in November of 2024, but Republican Jefferson Griffith refused to concede and instead challenged the votes of 60,000+ legitimately registered voters from a few mostly blue counties (a tale of voter disenfranchisement that played out in the courts for six months). Riggs’ race was finally certified in May of 2025. North Carolina’s performance on Election Day 2025 was stellar: Democrats dominated municipal races, picking up seats on city councils, making gains on school boards, and flipping mayoral races. Dems won 630+ races and flipped 160+ seats. What’s ahead: In 2026, Democrats have a good chance to pick up a Senate seat with the popular former governor Roy Cooper jumping into the open race (Republican Senator Thom Tillis is retiring). Dems have their sights set on winning another State Supreme Court seat and they plan to whittle down the Republican majority in the legislature. Sign up for the NC Team here.

Pennsylvania

The PA Congressional delegation is Dems 7, GOP 11. The 203-member state House of Representatives is evenly divided with one vacancy of seat formerly held by a Democrat. A special election in March will determine which party has the advantage of a single vote in the House. The outcome of a state Senate race in red-leaning Lancaster county could also be a referendum — as in the surprising win in Iowa. The state Senate is currently 27 GOP and 22 Dems. The special election could move us closer to taking this chamber back. Remember inch by inch we will win. November 2025 will also see the necessary retention of 3 state Supreme Court justices. Finally, as of February, Senator John Fetterman (D) has been a terrible disappointment in voting to confirm most of the administration’s cabinet nominees. What’s ahead: We will support the state supreme court races in 2025 and prepare for 2026 to win seats in the U.S. House, keep a Democratic governor (not sure if Shapiro will run again) and lieutenant governor, and gain seats in the state House of Representatives and in the U.S. House. Sign up for the PA Team here.

Virginia

Virginia 2025 was indeed the bellwether for the 2026 midterms. Democrats swept statewide races for Governor, Lt Governor, Attorney General, and they flipped 13 House of Delegates seats. VA now has a pro-democracy trifecta and will join California in taking the necessary redistricting steps to avoid the extreme MAGA power grab taking place across the country. Lean Left Vermont will return to work in VA in 2026.