From California to Virginia, Swing Left’s Grassroots Power Helps Deliver Major Democratic Wins Nationwide, Building Momentum Toward the 2026 Midterms
Swing Left volunteers and donors help secure a Democratic trifecta in Virginia and pass Proposition 50 in California, key steps in countering Trump’s power grabs to retain control of the House.
November 05, 2025—Today, Swing Left, one of the largest drivers of grassroots action helping Democrats win competitive races nationwide, celebrates decisive victories across California, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, marking a powerful rejection of GOP extremism and a critical surge of grassroots momentum heading into the 2026 midterms.
“These elections carried enormous stakes for the future of our country,” said Yasmin Radjy, Executive Director of Swing Left. “Trump and his Republican allies are doing everything they can to take away voters’ power to decide the outcome of the midterms, because they know their agenda is deeply unpopular and incredibly harmful. These victories are a critical first step in fighting back and leveling the playing field for 2026. Voters in California, Virginia, and across the country have sent a clear message: extremism and undemocratic power grabs have no place in our democracy.”
Grassroots Organizing Delivers Major Victories
In Virginia, Swing Left volunteers knocked on more than 81,000 doors, made more than 129,000 calls, and raised over $336,000 to help Democrats win all three statewide offices—Abigail Spanberger as Governor, Ghazala Hashmi as Lieutenant Governor, and Jay Jones as Attorney General—and expand their majority in the House of Delegates, securing a Democratic trifecta in the Commonwealth. These victories will help Democrats advance progress on issues such as affordability, reproductive, and voting rights, and ensure Virginians have an Attorney General who will fight against the Trump administration’s dangerous overreach and abuse of power.
All eight Swing Left-supported House candidates—Elizabeth Guzman (HD22), John McAuliff (HD30), Stacey Carroll (HD64), Jessica Anderson (HD71), Leslie Mehta (HD73), Lindsey Dougherty (HD75), Virgil Thornton, Sr. (HD86), and Kacey Carnegie (HD89)—won in competitive districts, paving the way for Virginia’s state legislature to move ahead with a redistricting process that could add up to three additional Democratic seats in the U.S. House. They also build infrastructure for key battleground House races in Virginia.
In California, Swing Left volunteers across Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and beyond knocked on 111,000 doors, made 327,000 calls, and wrote and distributed more than 225,000 letters and flyers through Swing Left’s non-partisan affiliate Vote Forward, in successful support of Proposition 50, a landmark ballot measure that also aims to mitigate the unfair advantages Republicans have built through partisan mid-cycle redistricting in states like Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina.
In Pennsylvania, Vote Forward volunteers also wrote 415,000 letters encouraging turnout in the state Supreme Court retention elections, where three Democratic justices were re-elected, preserving a 5-2 Democratic majority on a court that oversees redistricting, election law, and voting rights through 2026.
Building Towards 2026 and Beyond
“While we’re celebrating these results and the hard work of so many volunteers and partner organizations, we know the fight is far from over. We can’t be complacent and assume they guarantee Democratic wins in 2026,” added Radjy. “Winning will require building on this success and taking big swings—organizing early and often, and truly listening to and connecting with voters. That’s our focus at Swing Left. In the coming weeks, we’ll be launching bold new programs designed to transform and reimagine how Democrats organize and mobilize at scale.”
Following this week’s victories, Swing Left will continue organizing in key swing districts nationwide and supporting efforts to flip the House in 2026, including a potential redistricting referendum in Virginia next year. The organization is also preparing to publicly launch its most ambitious program yet: Ground Truth, a new initiative to reach every voter early and deeply in key districts, building long-term Democratic infrastructure. The program is currently being piloted in select districts and will soon launch in swing districts nationwide, at scale.
Swing Left’s strategy is backed by a $12+ million cycle budget, more than double its typical midterm investment and the largest in the organization’s history.
About Swing Left
Since launching in 2017, Swing Left has proven the effectiveness of early, sustained, and smart grassroots organizing. Our 1 million members have raised more than $140 million for Democratic candidates, organizations, and voter mobilization efforts, and reached out to more than 50 million voters through phone calls, door knocks, and Vote Forward letters.
In 2024 alone, Swing Left’s volunteers knocked on 1.6 million doors, made 3.8 million calls, wrote more than 11 million letters, and raised more than $25 million—critical actions that helped Democrats in swing districts buck national trends and secure razor-thin victories. Our highly strategic, data-driven approach resulted in Democrats significantly outperforming national trends in our target areas.
For more information, visit www.swingleft.org.
