How tough will it be? Let’s look at history.
In the 2010 midterm elections, Democrats lost a net of 64 House seats and Republicans gained six seats in the Senate. In 1994, Democrats lost a net of 52 House seats and Republicans picked up eight seats in the Senate. Since World War II, only twice has the president’s party gained seats in the midterm elections (and even then, the gains were small).
One election analyst recently put it like this: “Dems really must grapple with the very high likelihood that they’ll lose the House in 2022 and how that boosts the likelihood of a GOP Congress elected in 2024 trying to overturn the next presidential election.”
Now, this is where we tell you to take a deep breath — because there’s too much at stake (making progress on climate change, building a sustainable economy for working people, and passing the democracy-saving reforms we desperately need, for starters) not to fight like hell to stop them. And we do believe that we can win.
How?
We Give No Ground. And we start today.
Give No Ground is built to defend essential Democratic seats in target states and districts across the country. These elections will decide the fate of our majorities and the Biden agenda (and maybe the presidential election in 2024). The incumbents in these states and districts have worked hard for their constituents to win an inclusive recovery for the people and make the president’s platform a reality (A pathway to citizenship! Lowering prescription drug prices! Investments in climate and the care economy! Investments in affordable housing! Making the ultra-wealthy and corporations pay their fair share!).
They’ve been delivering for us; now we’re going to deliver for them.
This is more than a volunteer program. Give No Ground will respond rapidly to the evolving electoral landscape and ensure resources go where they’re needed most. We’re going to mobilize the Indivisible network to become a force in this election, and we’ll be using some exciting tools and strategies to do it.
(So Many) Tools. Through Give No Ground, Indivisibles e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e will be able to impact these races by calling, texting, and writing postcards to essential voters. We’re taking an all-of-the-above strategy to get out the vote.
Get Out the Vote Event Support. Groups in target districts will get national support for election events like canvass launches and other GOTV events (keep an eye out for some new Indivisible merch too).
Grassroots-Driven Strategy. We’ll establish national working groups for Give No Ground targets and give local Indivisibles across the country opportunities to “adopt-a-district” to ensure Democrats have all the grassroots muscle they need. With strategy update calls, consultations on advertising, and more, we’re bringing you into the heart of the fight.
We can win in 2022. And the most important part of that win will be you. It’s all hands on deck, and it’s important we start early. If you’re in this fight, here’s what’s next:
Set up a monthly donation to fund this program. None of this work — from providing groups with voter contact tools to writing policy explainers to texting voters — is possible without funding from grassroots supporters. We don’t take money from corporations or political parties, so we need your help, all year long, to win. If you can, chip in $13 a month to support us and help expand our work.
Get in the fight by taking the Give No Ground Pledge, now. We’re building a people-powered movement to hold back Republicans in the midterms. If you’re in to Give No Ground in 2022, tell us how. Do you want to talk to voters in target districts? Write letters? Do you speak a language that could be useful in turning out underserved communities? Let us know, and we’ll give you what you need to get involved.
Join your local Indivisible group. Local groups are the lifeblood of this program — hard stop. Once you’ve taken the pledge, look up your local group and reach out to connect — they’ll be on the frontlines of this fight and need you there. If you’re already plugged in, commit now to asking three of your friends to join an Indivisible group near them. This is an all-hands-on-deck election, and in these early days, one of the most important things we can do is grow this movement.
Let’s fight like hell these next 389 days. Because together, we will win.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team