Friend,

You’re seeing what’s going on in swing states across the country. These states are battlegrounds for the preservation of our democracy. 

That’s why we’re dedicating our resources in 2022 to making sure pro-democracy candidates win statewide in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Check out our winning plan in our 100 Days Strategy Memo below, and then donate to help us make sure we have all the resources we need to pull it off.

-The Lincoln Project

Friend-

In January, Trippi wrote about the five reasons we had for optimism headed into 2022, and why the doom and gloomers predicting a GOP blowout this year would be proven wrong. Now, with 100 days to go, not only do all five reasons continue to hold true – our momentum continues to grow. And the electoral battlefield continues to shape up in ways that help Democrats.

You’ll hear more about why we have the momentum leading into the home stretch, but here’s a quick summary of what we’re thinking: Redistricting did not hand the GOP a massive advantage. The GOP continues to nominate ultra-MAGA extremists who are far out of step with the general electorate. We are turning a corner on inflation and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine brought together new coalitions both internationally and domestically to counter Russian aggression. Democrats continue to coalesce around two potential victories: reducing inflation and the CHIPS bill (which 187 House Republicans voted against, giving Dems a key messaging win going into the fall). And of course, the Democratic base is larger (and, for the first time, more motivated to vote, since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, as recent polls show 92% of Democrats are extremely motivated, as compared to 89% of the GOP).

With 100 days to go, we are fully committed to defeating extremist ultra-MAGA candidates and growing our pro-democracy coalition. You’ve kept us in the fight until now. Can you redouble your commitment and make sure we have the resources to win this fall?

We are focused on key races in five states – unlike most Washington committees, we don’t see this as a conflict between state and federal races. We are putting our time, energy, and resources into the races that will weigh most heavily on preserving our democracy:

• Arizona – Governor, US Senate, Secretary of State
• Nevada – Governor, US Senate, Attorney General, Secretary of State
• Wisconsin – Governor, US Senate
• Michigan – Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State
• Pennsylvania – Governor, US Senate 

If we can ensure that Democratic, pro-democracy candidates are elected in these races, you better believe we will be able to bring some House races over the line and stop the ultra-MAGA led GOP from taking over the House.

What used to be GOP electoral advantages are slipping away. Over the course of the first half of 2022, we’ve seen erosion in the GOP coalition with older and upper income, educated suburban voters. Why?

The GOP’s positions are deeply unpopular. National Republican leaders have put forth deeply unpopular positions including a national abortion ban, restricting gay marriage, increasing taxes on working class Americans, rolling back Social Security and Medicare, and voting against key veterans’ benefits. January 6th is still front and center. The hearings held by the Select Committee on January 6th have been devastating for Donald Trump’s reputation with swing voters and Republicans alike. And with more hearings and more evidence coming, the GOP won’t be able to sweep it under the rug.

The Dobbs Decision. Though the decision was leaked two months before its release, the Dobbs decision is a cultural grenade thrown into American life. Half the country now has fewer rights than they did half a century ago. Younger voters and women in the suburbs are energized by this loss. While ultra-conservative Americans may believe they’ve scored a great victory, the energy these actions have injected into voters, both men and women, concerned about individual rights should drive Democratic and pro-democracy voters to the polls. And polling has already borne this out: Democrats, for the first time, are more enthusiastic than Republicans about voting this November.

Ukraine has driven a wedge among Republicans. When Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, many MAGA leaders openly rooted for Vladimir Putin’s success. Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, JD Vance, and many Congressional Republicans continue to push pro-Putin talking points. This, too, is a strike point for older Republican voters, all of whom lived through the Cold War and many of whom served in the military during that era. They historically see Russia as an adversary and do not like seeing another democracy attacked. We must continue to drive this wedge in Federal races.

There are of course red flags we will have to avoid. We can’t fall into the usual traps of arguing about culture wars or having a fragmented message. Fortunately, we at The Lincoln Project aren’t beholden to a candidate or a Washington committee. We know what’s going to win this fall, and we aren’t going to stray from it.

The landscape has changed dramatically since January. But what has not changed is that the pro-democracy movement we are building. With 100 days to go, we are doubling down on doing the work to win this November and beyond. Are you with us?

In the next few days, we’ll be diving more deeply into some of the key strategic points we believe are crucial to victory this year. You will hear from each of us about why our momentum continues to grow, and how you can help – from pitching in to joining our pro-democracy volunteer corps, The Union. 

Thank you for all that you do for democracy – and for keeping The Lincoln Project in this fight. We wouldn’t be here without you.

-Rick, Reed, Stuart, and Joe