John, 

Throughout this year, we sent a text asking a simple question: Have you ever thought about running for office?

908 people ran. We helped connect them to local party leaders, helped them understand the process, and made sure they didn’t have to figure it out alone.

And it worked. 444 of those candidates won their general elections.

If you can, will you chip in $10 right now to help us recruit and support the next wave of Democratic candidates up and down the ballot?

Among the winners: 

A mayor in a small Iowa town who’d never run before. 
A city council member in Michigan who flipped her seat in a working-class community. 
A school board member in rural Ohio who’s now setting education policy for thousands of kids.

Now we’re already moving into the next cycle. Filing deadlines for 2026 are coming up fast in key states across the Midwest and in key battlegrounds. County party chairs are already on the phone with school board candidates and city council challengers, and whether those conversations turn into real campaigns depends on whether we can keep this pipeline moving.

Right now, thousands of people are having that same “maybe I should run” conversation with themselves. Every candidate we can’t reach or follow up with is a race we might not contest, reserving a seat at the table for MAGA extremists.

If you believe more people should be able to say “yes” to running — and have the support to win — then will you chip in $10 today?

Thank you for being part of the follow-through. 

— Katie Whittington
Director of Programs, Contest Every Race