This is the best damn email I've ever gotten to write

Friend, Democrats were not supposed to do well this year: Everyone knows that the party in power almost always struggles badly in midterms. But that “almost” is the key word, because against all odds, Democrats had an extraordinary election, with major victories up and down the ballot from coast to coast. And you, the members of the Daily Kos community, are a huge reason why. In fact, an astonishing 31 of the 54 campaigns on the November ballot that Daily Kos backed proved victorious, which is an amazing figure since we never seek to pad our totals with easy wins. On the contrary, we always get involved in some of the toughest contests where Democrats can expand the playing field and flip Republican-held posts. Yet despite embracing this challenge we won more than half of our races, so we wanted to celebrate all of those successes. [But first, I have to ask: Daily Kos is $186,477 away from our annual goal. Can you donate $5 right now so we can close the books on 2022?]( [DONATE]( Let’s start at the top with John Fetterman, whose victory in Pennsylvania ensured that Democrats would hold the Senate, and, if Raphael Warnock wins his runoff next month, will expand our majority to 51 seats. (You’ve been busting your humps for Warnock, too!) Then there’s the House, where seven Daily Kos candidates either turned Republican seats from red to blue or won brand-new districts created as a result of reapportionment: Yadira Caraveo (CO-08), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), and Marie Gluesenkamp Pérez (WA-03). Not only will this cohort make Congress more diverse, they’re a key reason why the GOP will have virtually zero margin for error come January—and why we’ll be in an excellent position to take back the House in 2024. We of course must also talk about all of the election deniers we defeated in races for secretary of state in major swing states. Thanks to Jena Griswold (Colorado), Jocelyn Benson (Michigan), Steve Simon (Minnesota), and Cisco Aguilar (Nevada), we can be sure elections will be run fairly in all of these states, and that Trump’s minions won’t be able to steal the next election for him. And let’s not forget the rule of law. Democrats also beat back far-right conspiracy theorists who ran for attorney general in key states. Phil Weiser (Colorado), Dana Nessel (Michigan), Aaron Ford (Nevada), and Josh Kaul (Wisconsin) will all continue to protect voting rights, abortion rights, and so much more. In Michigan, while we’re on the topic, Justice Richard Bernstein’s reelection means that Democrats will continue to hold the state Supreme Court, ensuring a fair-minded and independent majority that will safeguard our democracy. And while Kyra Harris Bolden fell just short in her quest for a second seat, we have to mention her strong performance because it’s no accident that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently announced [she’d tap her to fill a vacancy on the court](. Speaking of Michigan, you helped pass a ground-breaking amendment to the state constitution enshrining the right to an abortion—and rendering a 1931 ban that Republicans had refused to repeal a dead letter for all time. Likewise in Kentucky, we defeated a mirror-image ballot measure that would have rewritten the constitution to specifically say it doesn’t protect abortion rights. Both were enormous victories for reproductive freedom following the earth-shaking vote in Kansas this summer to block an amendment just like the one in Kentucky (an effort you also supported!). And last but absolutely not least is a set of achievements I’m most proud to have been a part of: Democrats flipping the Michigan State House and the Pennsylvania State House. Both of these chambers had been in Republican hands for many years thanks to rigged maps, but new, un-gerrymandered districts finally gave us the chance to win back the majority. A dozen candidates Daily Kos backed made this happen: In Michigan, Jaime Churches, Reggie Miller, Joey Andrews, Denise Mentzer, John Fitzgerald, and Jenn Hill all won critical races, while in Pennsylvania, Paul Friel, Arvind Venkat, Mandy Steele, Paul Takac, Melissa Cerrato, and Lisa Borowski made all the difference. In these small races our grassroots dollars go furthest, and I can assure you they were keenly appreciated. Again, none of this could have happened without you. When Daily Kos backs a candidate, we don’t just issue a press release. We’ve always asked our readers to support our campaigns with your hard-earned dollars and your precious volunteer time, and you’ve always come through. Because of this community, what should have been a discouraging election night turned out to be one of the most exciting and energizing in years. And we’re going to keep at it. I’m certainly not tired of winning, and I know you aren’t either. We have major races coming up very soon that Daily Kos will get involved in and we’ll ask for your help once more. But for now, please enjoy these victories and the role you played in bringing them about. And thank you, truly, from the bottom of our hearts. [I spend a lot of time working to find Democrats running competitive races where small donations and volunteer work—the sorts of things that a Daily Kos endorsement brings—can make a difference between victory and defeat, curating a slate of candidates that delivers big bang for your buck. Our activism team works all cycle long to help put these candidates over the top. If you support the work we do, please donate $5 right now to help us meet our annual goal.]( [DONATE]( Thank you, David Nir, Political Director Daily Kos If you wish to donate by mail instead, please send a check to Daily Kos, PO Box 70036, Oakland, CA, 94612. Contributions to Daily Kos are not tax deductible. (Please note that we may be slow to process checks during the coronavirus outbreak.) Sent via [ActionNetwork.org](. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Daily Kos, please [click here](.