Friend,
Let’s be very clear about what just happened.
Donald Trump openly called on Republicans to nationalize elections and seize control of how voting is run in multiple states.[1] That is not bluster. It is a direct rejection of the U.S. Constitution and a dangerous escalation by a president and a party that know voters are turning against them.
Under our Constitution, elections are administered by the states. Trump’s demand that a political party take over voting should alarm anyone who believes in democracy. It is the language of authoritarian desperation. It is what politicians say when they are afraid of losing.
And they are losing.
Just days ago, Democrats flipped a deeply Republican Texas state Senate seat by fourteen points in a district Trump carried by seventeen in 2024. That win did not happen in a vacuum. It followed major Democratic victories in Virginia and New Jersey in 2025 and continued overperformance in special elections across the country. Voters are paying attention. They are rejecting MAGA extremism and choosing candidates who respect democracy and working people.
Republicans can feel power slipping away because people like you are building something they cannot control: an organized and informed electorate.
Republicans know the ground is shifting beneath them, and they are preparing to fight this midterm election with every tool they have, including rewriting rules, violating norms, and trying to discard the Constitution itself. At the same time, they are sitting on a MASSIVE fundraising advantage, with national party committees stockpiling cash to overwhelm key states with ads, lawyers, and infrastructure.[2]
So yes, we can flip control of Congress. The path is real, and voters are showing us that change is possible. But it will be hard fought. It will require organization, discipline, and resources well before Election Day.
That is why the work we do right now matters so much.
We must invest early in voter mobilization, voter education, and voter protection in key states across the country. We need to reach people before disinformation does. We need organizers on the ground, trusted messengers in communities and online, and the capacity to respond when Republicans try to intimidate, suppress, or interfere. Democracy does not defend itself. People like you do.
Trump’s call to nationalize elections is a warning and a reminder of what we are up against. But it is also proof that our movement is working. Authoritarians only lash out like this when they feel power slipping away.
If we meet this moment with courage and resources, we can protect our democracy and flip Congress. If we hesitate, we give Republicans exactly what they want: time to stack the deck.
Thank you for being part of this fight.
Zach VanHouten
People For the American Way
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[1] "Trump, in an Escalation, Calls for Republicans to ‘Nationalize’ Elections" The New York Times, 2/2/26
[2] "Fundraising hauls show RNC vastly outpacing Democrats ahead of midterm elections" AP News, 2/1/26
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