For First time, Swing Left Directs Its Organizing Efforts Internally to Shaping the Future of the Democratic Party, Starting with DNC Chair Race
Swing Left meets with DNC Chair candidates & seeks commitments to building organizing infrastructure through its “Five Organizing Principles for the Future of the Democratic Party”
Washington, D.C. – Today, Swing Left, the leading grassroots organization dedicated to electing Democrats up and down the ballot, announced that, for the first time, it is directing its membership’s organizing efforts not just on the external work of winning upcoming elections, but also internally – on helping to shape the future of the party.
This effort starts with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair’s race, where Swing Left staff and grassroots leaders have invited each Chair candidate to meet and discuss Swing Left’s Five Organizing Principles for the Future of the Democratic Party, which emphasize the critical role of grassroots engagement and infrastructure in securing Democratic majorities in the years ahead. The principles were developed following extensive input from the leaders of Swing Left’s 450 volunteer-led groups as well as surveying a selection of its 1 million members, and comes as the race for the next DNC Chair intensifies.
“Coming off a tough election, we’re hearing a lot from our volunteers and donors,” said Yasmin Radjy, Executive Director of Swing Left. “Winning elections isn’t everything, but it’s a necessary start. While there’s plenty we’re still learning, we are certain that the path forward for the Democratic Party must include listening to the grassroots voices and leadership that power the work of winning elections. A DNC that prioritizes the grassroots will be set up to win.”
Swing Left’s involvement in the DNC Chair race underscores its commitment to a shared vision of a Democratic Party that invests in sustained, year-round grassroots organizing, builds strong national and state infrastructure to support volunteers, and prioritizes effective voter engagement as the cornerstone of electoral success.
Swing Left has proactively invited each Chair candidate to participate in a virtual listening session with staff and volunteers ahead of the February 1 election to discuss the Five Organizing Principles and publicly commit to their implementation.
The Five Organizing Principles Swing Left has proposed for the Democratic Party include:
#1 Support Year-Round Voter Engagement: Year-round voter engagement builds the foundation for long-term success. The DNC should dedicate resources, funding, and staffing to support the sustained grassroots organizing and fundraising efforts that power early and effective voter engagement.
#2 Prioritize Organizing Infrastructure: Not all organizing is equal, and all too often the best is underresourced. The DNC should deeply invest in best-in-class organizing infrastructure such as modern tools, accurate and robust voter data, effective messaging, top talent, and innovative voter engagement tactics.
#3 Reimagine Partnership with Outside Groups that Power the Work: The progressive ecosystem has changed dramatically in the past decade, and grassroots organizations like Swing Left are not outside constituents to be managed. Given the scale of our influence on competitive races, the DNC should engage with grassroots organizations and our members as strategic partners. Doing so will maximize our combined impact by deploying resources efficiently, reducing duplicative efforts, and leveraging comparative advantages.
#4 Act on Grassroots Feedback: Organizers and volunteer leaders bring critical insights from their voter outreach efforts. The DNC should prioritize listening to local organizers and providing them with the resources needed to implement strategies tailored to their efforts.
#5 Invest Wide and Deep in State Parties for Sustained Wins: To win Democratic majorities in the short and long term, strong state parties should be commonplace, not an aberration – and not just in Presidential battleground states. The DNC should rethink how it resources state parties, both financially and in terms of tech and data infrastructure, with a focus on incentivizing the high-quality, year-round, long-term organizing work that’s needed to win Democratic majorities, both at the state and federal levels. This includes investing in blue states like California and New York, which hold the largest concentration of swing House districts in the country and the largest statewide rightward shifts in the last election. It also includes reinvesting in red-tilting states like Ohio where year-round organizing remains underresourced.
Swing Left’s singular mission is electing Democratic majorities. The organization doesn't engage in issue advocacy or primaries. It provides an on-ramp for grassroots volunteers and donors to strategically channel their most precious resources – their time and money – to the races that matter most to winning, today and tomorrow.
“As the democratic ecosystem evolves, it’s essential for the DNC to embrace grassroots leadership and invest in the infrastructure that drives electoral success,” added Radjy. “Our Five Organizing Principles are a roadmap for building a stronger Democratic Party capable of winning elections in 2025 and beyond. We look forward to partnering with the next Chair on the critical work ahead. Our country’s future depends on all of us. ”
Since its founding in 2017, Swing Left’s 1 million members and 450 volunteer-led groups have worked in close coordination with the Democratic Party, raising over $100 million for priority Democratic campaigns, state parties and on-the-ground organizing efforts, and contacting over 50 million voters in federal and state races that came down to the margins. Cycle after cycle, this work has had a tangible impact on securing victories up and down the ballot. In states and districts where Swing Left organizes early, performance improves significantly.
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About Swing Left
Swing Left was founded in 2017, the day before Trump's inauguration, and has become one of the largest drivers of grassroots volunteers and donors to support Democrats in competitive races. Since 2017, Swing Left’s community of over 1 million members have collectively donated more than $140 million to elect Democrats and made over 50 million voter contacts through phone calls, door knocks, and handwritten letters.
