| Friend,
2025 felt like a year that would take everything we had just to get through it. Shocking news came daily, in waves. The noise was relentless. And yet, through all that, something else began to glimmer and then shine through around our country - something deeper, steadier, more human: a simple readiness to continue the work of democracy.
In small towns and big cities, on podcasts and porches, in late-night conversations and on early-morning flights, I saw people leaning toward each other instead of pulling apart.
Hope didn’t arrive this year as a feeling.
It emerged as a choice – created by action from people determined not to give up.
Because of that, because of you, together we put hope into motion in ways that truly mattered. So, I wanted to send along a recap of some of my favorite moments from the year, and a preview of what’s to come.
Showing Up Everywhere
This year I’ve spent a great deal of time, on the road and online, listening to people about what this moment feels like in their lives, and helping lift up candidates and causes that reflect our shared values. This year, I continued the “go everywhere” approach that I have believed in throughout my career in service.
In the spring, I joined the hosts of Flagrant for a three-hour unfiltered podcast episode that reached a new audience that hadn’t heard enough from our side of the aisle.
And in May, I held a veterans-focused town hall in Iowa to hear from people on the ground about how the Trump administration’s actions were affecting their lives.
Throughout the year, I continued this approach – connecting with digital creators, sitting for podcasts of all kinds, as well as traditional media interviews with outlets like GQ and the New York Times. Basically, if someone wanted to have a good-faith conversation about the moment we’re in, or about lighter stuff like Notre Dame football and my favorite airports, I was ready to engage.
In September, I had the chance to join hundreds of Hoosiers in the Indiana Statehouse to rally against Trump’s effort to redistrict their congressional maps and undermine the voices of voters–supporting an effort that would culminate in the stunning rejection of Trump’s personal pleas in this very conservative legislature.
On the campaign trail, I visited Virginia and New Jersey ahead of their gubernatorial races to rally voters for my friends Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill. On Election Day, voters in those states and across the country showed up in droves to send a clear message about the kind of politics–and the changes–they want to see.
From red towns to blue cities, and all the purple places in between – as well as the digital spaces where so many of us spend time – I’m going to keep showing up. Politics is about who we stand for, not just what we stand against, and we can show a better way forward for how we treat one another and how we get things done.
What We Built Together
Because you stayed engaged – through reading, sharing, reflecting, and participating – Win the Era was able to live out its mission in real, meaningful ways. Win the Era’s endorsed candidates had some big wins in communities across the country: Susan Crawford in Wisconsin, Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey, Andy Schor in Lansing, Randall Woodfin in Birmingham, Aftab Pureval in Cincinnati, Gina Ortiz Jones in San Antonio, and Eileen Higgins in Miami.
I’m so proud of these and more leaders we have worked with, and glad to have been in their corner.
Looking Toward 2026
As we step into 2026, the work ahead feels both urgent and full of possibility.
Next year is not just a political milestone – it’s a test of what kind of country we want to live in. And Win the Era’s mission has never been more timely:
- Amplify principled leaders who approach service with humility and seriousness;
- Support candidates who ground their work in belonging, not in fear or division;
- Reach people in every corner of the country, continuing the “go everywhere” approach that defined 2025
Most importantly, to build community around hope, serving a vision shaped not by the chaos of the moment but by what we believe is possible for our country and our lives.
If 2025 was about stepping into rooms where people felt unheard, 2026 is about deepening those relationships – returning, listening again, and making sure no community is overlooked.
If 2025 was about widening the conversation, 2026 is about further strengthening the coalition of people who still believe in a better kind of politics.
And if 2025 was about finding hope in unexpected places, 2026 is about giving that hope durable momentum.
I am more convinced than ever that the work we’re doing – the work you are part of – can help shape a future where our politics reflects our best values, not our worst impulses.
Thank you for everything you brought to this year.
Pete
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