ICYMI: 2020 National Strategy Call
Thousands of you dialed into last night’s National Strategy call, where we laid out Swing Left’s grand plan to put Democrats in charge of the White House, Senate, and critical state houses this year.
If you missed it, below is a short recap, and here’s a recording of the call.
The Key Takeaways
The importance of the 2020 elections cannot be overstated. And there are 12 states where the major battles of the elections will be won or lost: the Super States. By focusing our work on the most strategic races there, we can maximize our impact where votes will count the most.
We know how to flip seats and win majorities for Democrats — and we can do it. But it’s going to take all of us doing our part to make it happen.
Here’s your next action: the best thing you can do right now is attend a “2020 Ready” House Party this weekend to meet like-minded people, help build strong teams, and plan your next 2020 action. Find a House Party near you on January 18th, 19th, or 20th and RSVP.
What’s at Stake in 2020?
These will be the most important elections of our lifetime. Control of the White House, the Senate, and the future of unfair Republican redistricting hang in the balance. If we win in November we will transform our government, defeat Trump and the GOP up and down the ballot, and set up our country for a decade of progressive victories.
Successes of 2018 + 2019
We’re building on successes of the Swing Left community in 2018 and 2019 for an even bigger 2020. Here’s a look back on what we accomplished together:
We took back the House in 2018, thanks to a massive blue wave and a grassroots army. We raised $11.5 million from 73k grassroots donors, made 2.5 million calls and knocked 5 million doors. Out of our 84 districts, 16 stayed blue and 29 flipped to blue, meaning Swing Left volunteers helped win 55 crucial districts.
In 2019 we joined forces with Flippable, strengthening our ability to work on state-level races, and finalized our relationship with Vote Forward, which is now an affiliated partner organization, giving volunteers meaningful actions to take no matter where they live.
Our first joint effort with Flippable was flipping the Virginia state legislature in 2019. We raised $863,000 for Virginia candidates, knocked 88,000 doors and wrote 229,000 letters to Virginia voters. Democrats won 14 of our 20 target races, and 18 of our 20 target races were decided by a margin of 10% or less. In the end, we flipped VA blue!
2020 Strategy: The Super State Strategy
To win the White House, Senate and key state legislature races we need to focus on efforts where they will have the biggest impact: the Super States. That’s how we’ll transform our government and set up a decade of progressive victories. If we focus on winning in these key battlegrounds we’ll be able to impact all the most strategic races of 2020 at the same time.
The Super States are Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Texas, and Iowa.
2020 Timeline
Pre-Primary (Now):
- Crucial time for organizing infrastructure building.
Post-Primary (Spring):
- Democratic candidates chosen in key state legislative and U.S. Senate races.
Democratic Convention (Summer):
- Democratic nominee for president chosen.
Get Out the Vote (Fall):
- Mobilizing for Democratic candidates across the country when it matters most.
Election Day — November 3rd!
How We Win in 2020
Early Money
We can start fundraising now for the future Democratic nominees and deliver it to the nominees after their primaries when they traditionally are cash poor and can use the funds to build smart campaigns. We heard from many of our 2018 candidates that this early money was a huge help to them. You can learn about the different funds and the most strategic ways to donate here.
Talking to Voters
There are three key parts of our plan to engage with voters: knocking doors, writing letters and registering voters. The best way to figure out what you can do right now is to find a group near you or use our Action Finder to do something high impact right now.
If you’re in college and want to do something more substantial, check out our College Programs, which empower young leaders to help transform our government.
What’s Next?
If you’re ready to defeat the GOP, attend a Swing Left 2020 Ready House Party during MLK weekend. At a House Party, you’ll meet like-minded people who want to make a difference, discuss the Super State Strategy, and plan how you’ll take action in 2020. RSVP today for a House Party near you on January 18th, 19th, or 20th.
If there’s no House Party near you, you can make a big difference by stepping up to host one yourself. Don’t worry if you’ve never done something like this before, we’ve created a seriously thorough guide to a successful event. (Pro-tip, it does not need to be at a house, it can be anywhere!) Get a few friends to join you and a place to host and you have everything you need for a great event. Sign up to host a Swing left 2020 Ready House Party and we’ll send you everything.
We want Democrats to win the White House, Senate and other critical majorities in 2020, so we all need to take action. By attending a House Party, you’ll become part of a powerful activist community and be in the best position to help Democrats win in 2020.
