Lean Left Vermont Update!

Progress in this country has never been easy. It takes time. And always in the face of injustice and adversity, we have continued to fight. The new year is a great opportunity to renew our commitment to serving [our country] and honoring each other’s humanity.

–Judge Cheri Beasley, 2022 Candidate for the U.S. Senate North Carolina

We were told ad nauseam that the Republicans were going to clobber the Democrats in the midterm elections. But the polls and the pundits were wrong. Across the country, volunteers like you stepped up, and while not a complete victory, we saw big wins. Every call you made, every postcard you wrote, and every door you knocked on made a difference.

Making phone calls to strangers is hard, but day after day, Lean Left volunteers conquered the technology and their fears and picked up the phone. We cleaned up voting lists, reminded voters about early voting, helped them with their poll locations, and urged them to vote on election day. Voter protection was high on our agenda, and we had many voter assistance hotline volunteers taking calls from people who had problems or questions about voting.

Lean Left postcard writers went all out in 2022, starting with the Texas primary and ending with the Georgia run-off. Together we wrote to 80,685 voters in Texas, North Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire, and Georgia. A huge shoutout to all of you who wrote to Georgia voters—although we were under the pressure of an extremely short turnaround time, it was our largest effort, coming in at 20,903 postcards. Your patience and diligence certainly paid off!

We had a dedicated crew of canvassers, stretching from Lyndonville to Brattleboro, who crossed the river and knocked on doors in New Hampshire. We focused on the US Senate and House and down-ballot candidates. Senator Maggie Hassan and Representatives Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas all won their seats, and the Dems dramatically narrowed the number of seats in the NH House. These wins were critical, but just as important were the substantive, in-person conversations we had with our New Hampshire neighbors and the forging of good working relationships with organizations working on the ground.

For a complete overview of the election results and a look ahead for 2023, click here.

Looking Ahead in 2023

Our focus for 2023 will be on Wisconsin and Virginia.

In April, Wisconsin voters will elect new Supreme Court justices. The re-election of Tony Evers for Governor was critical, but to put a check on the right-wing’s legislative agenda, justices must be elected who will protect voting and reproductive rights and deal with the extreme gerrymandering in the state.

In Virginia, the election for the House of Delegates will take place in November. Currently, the Democrats have 47 seats, and the Republicans hold 51. There are two vacancies. This year all 140 seats in the General Assembly will be on the ballot — under new legislative maps seen as more favorable to Democrats. Helping Democrats break the current trifecta will bring back an agenda that includes protecting reproductive rights, passing sane gun control laws, and addressing the housing crisis and school funding.

We Need Your Perspective!

Lean Left’s 2024 plan will take shape throughout the year as activists weigh in on their most successful and rewarding work during the midterms. Whether you worked on Lean Left—promoted actions or actions promoted by other organizations, we want to hear about your experiences. If you phone banked, texted, or canvassed during the 2022 Midterms—or you wanted to but couldn’t get going—we want your perspective. Please take the time to fill out this short form, and one of us at Lean Left will give you a call: Volunteer Contact Form.

We are forever grateful to election volunteers across the country who at times put their lives on the line to make our democracy work.