This election will determine the majority on the court — which means major voting rights, abortion rights, and election cases are ON THE LINE.
Make a PLAN to vote for Susan Crawford by April 1st.
Our Revolution is backing Teri Castillo in the City Council race in San Antonio, Texas.
Teri is a community organizer running a people-powered campaign to represent District 5 and ensure that public money works for the people of San Antonio.
Since taking office, Castillo has brought historic investment to the people of District 5 and prioritized preserving and building affordable housing, while moving with urgency to meet the city’s climate goals.
Our Revolution is endorsing Alisha Sonnier for St. Louis Board (Ward 7). Alisha has been a true fighter for working people in the city, championing youth and family empowerment, equitable development, and housing as a human right.
We’re endorsing Anne Schweitzer for Board of Alders Ward 1. Since her election in 2021, Anne has been a champion for raising wages, clean water, better housing, safety and more.
With her background in environmental studies and non-profit work, we know she will work hard to deliver for people and the planet — and the City of St. Louis!
As Anne said: “St. Louis is a great city, not ‘was’ but ‘is,’ and it’s our job to make it even better.”
Our Revolution is endorsing Rebecca McCloud for the St. Louis Board of Alders, Ward 11, to build out our growing progressive voting block in the city.
We have been invested in electing a progressive governing majority in St. Louis for a few election cycles — and it’s paying off! Our champions have successfully pushed initiatives for labor, wages, direct democracy, universal basic income and more.
With her focus on economic development, mental health, and better food systems, Rebecca McCloud will be a great addition and partner in the effort to deliver for the people of St. Louis.
OLIGARCHY RISING, DEMOCRATS FAILING
by Joseph Geevarghese
President Biden warned too little and too late in his farewell address on January 15, “An oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our democracy.” Days later, on January 20, his words came to life as President Trump took the Oath of Office, flanked by Oil and Tech Oligarchs who funded his campaign. This moment signaled the beginning of a new political alignment between corporate and state power.
Trump has quickly rewarded his corporate benefactors. His first executive orders rolled back Biden-era environmental protections and boosted aggressive dirty energy production. Meanwhile, he advanced AI and cryptocurrency policies while stripping government oversight of Big Tech. The result: Big Tech’s need for vast energy supplies to fuel AI and crypto dovetailed seamlessly with Big Oil’s push to expand market demand for fossil fuels.
Trump is also purging career civil servants and replacing them with political loyalists and industry executives. These actions ensure agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy serve corporate interests rather than the public good.
Trump and his benefactors’ increasing control over the public square – and their bullying of the free press – means that citizens are deprived of the information required to speak out. Big Tech’s grip on digital platforms has fragmented public discourse, allowing misinformation to flourish. Meanwhile, surveillance technology—driven by firms like Palantir—is expanding state monitoring powers and eroding privacy protections.
Also dangerous are Trump’s pardons of the January 6 insurrectionists which will embolden extremists and likely make paramilitary-style political violence a permanent feature of our political life.
Taken together, the U.S. is fast moving toward the economic and political model of Russia, India, China, and Hungary—where strongmen are surrounded by oligarchs who rule with ruthlessness behind a facade of Democracy.
With this new oligarchy rising, America needs a real opposition party. Yet, despite Biden’s farewell warning, Democrats are failing to speak with a unified voice about the true dangers of Trump and challenge him on every front.
Some Democratic members of Congress are breaking ranks to confirm Trump’s nominees and offering to collaborate with advancing his policy agenda. The Democrats’ failure to act with courage or conviction is undermining the trust of rank-and-file voters and volunteers who donate and knock doors election after election.
Our Revolution recently surveyed more than 5,000 of our most active supporters, and only 14 percent said they feel ‘very confident’ that Democratic leaders will effectively counter Trump and his agenda. Nearly nine in 10 support efforts to want Democratic politicians and party officials “to lead a real opposition party by rejecting corporate money and influence,” but the remaining 12 percent told us not to bother because they’ve already given up on the Democratic Party.
Here are two of many comments the survey received sharing similar sentiments of despair with the Democratic Party. One woman said: “The Democratic Party needs to stop playing nice and fight fire with fire. I’m sick and disgusted today. I am ashamed of our country and the fact that there is no real plan to overhaul the Democratic Party.” Another commented: “I am not motivated to give Democrats money because I don’t think they know how to fight effectively and I don’t trust them to do what is necessary to effect real change.”
The base wants Democrats to provide more than reactive opposition—they want their leaders to reject corporate rule by renouncing corporate money themselves, demand Constitutional accountability from Trump, and present a unified front against his policies and personnel picks.
That’s why Our Revolution sent an open letter to all DNC members, who are gathering to elect new leaders this weekend, to chart a new course given the oligarchic takeover underway. But even in this they’ve managed to continue the blind push for insular control — going out of their way to shut out the public as just 448 insiders prepare to vote.
The grassroots base, progressives, young voters, working class voters, and others often shunted to the edges of the party have long been calling for a rejection of corporate power and a return to the working class roots, but this cry is reaching a crescendo. The Party and its politicians must listen now. They must open up transparency, break with corporate influences, and repair public trust if they want to win this existential battle.
Even Democratic governors are speaking out, speaking to Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as a group, and urging him to do all that he can to slow down the confirmation of President Trump’s nominees and to do more to block his agenda,the New York Times reported this week.
And citizens – whether Democrat, Republican or Independent – must mobilise, inform, and engage their friends and neighbors in the work of saving our nation from peril. Without concerted action, Biden’s warning of the rising American oligarchy may become the dystopian future we cannot escape.
Joseph Geevarghese is Executive Director of Our Revolution, the largest independent grassroots political action organization in the US, which was founded by Bernie Sanders in 2016.
51 votes may have just saved the mature forests in Washington State.
Dave Upthegrove, the only candidate not taking money from the timber industry, just squeaked by as a result of grassroots organizing and mobilization in the race for WA State Public Lands Commissioner.
Our Revolution, founded by Bernie Sanders, played a pivotal role from our work to GOTV in Washington State to our ballot curing efforts. This is why down-ballot work by progressives is so critical.
Upthegrove is the only candidate not funded by the timber industry and the only one who will fight the climate crisis by saving Washington’s mature forests, while working to prevent forest fires and grow the local economy.
Dave will work with local tribes and other communities to map out the best way to deploy more clean energy infrastructure and build more affordable housing.
He served 12 years in the State House, representing the diverse working-class suburbs of South King County, and he would be the first openly gay statewide executive in WA State history!
Dave’s love of the outdoors developed at a young age, spending his summers in high school and college working outdoors, teaching young people about conservation on Dabob Bay, and leading week-long treks through the Cascade Mountains.
HIs interest in politics developed as an environmental activist on campus at the University of Colorado, where he earned his degree in Environmental Conservation and Biology — later earning a graduate certificate in Energy Policy from the University of Idaho.
As a State Rep, Dave Upthegrove chaired the committee to restore the Puget Sound and chaired the House Environment Committee, working in every corner of the State to reduce carbon pollution, clean up toxins, and improve oil spill prevention.
In the Legislature, he helped lead the Blue-Green Alliance — a pro-labor, pro-environment coalition that rejected the false choice between jobs and the environment and found common ground to promote sustainable economic opportunities. Upthegrove was honored as Legislator of the Year by the Washington Conservation Voters.
“I understand that in order to have good jobs and a strong economy, we need to keep Washington State a great place to live,” Dave said. “This means managing our public forests, aquatic lands, and other natural resources in the public interest.”
Dave is the progressive and the strongest environmentalist in the race. He is endorsed by US Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Washington Conservation Action, Sierra Club as well as 50+ Democratic Party organizations.
With early voting starting, we are excited to announce our Massachusetts slate, led by U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Jim McGovern, who have both called for a ceasefire and to freeze US military assistance to Israel.
We’re proud to support two great candidates for Massachusetts State House: Evan MacKay, a union leader and pro-democracy organizer running in Middlesex 25th District, and Heather May, an educator and union organizer running in Middlesex 9th District.
And, we’re endorsing Mara Dolan and Stacey Borden for the Governor’s Council in Districts 3 and 4, respectively, and Allison Cartwright for Supreme Judicial Clerk in Suffolk County.
Major Primary Victories — Not only did Ilhan Omar defeat Big Money with our help, but Our Revolution’s entire slate of endorsed progressives in Vermont won in a clean sweep on Tuesday — including our founder Bernie Sanders!
We mobilized our members, got out the vote, and sent a huge message to the establishment that good policy is good politics. This week marks our 8th anniversary since Bernie started Our Revolution, and these victories add to our growing success of electing more than 1,000 progressives up and down the ballot.
Ilhan Omar was the target of rightwing and pro-Israel PACs, but she had the grassroots at her back and overcame big money and racist attack ads to overwhelmingly defeat her primary challenger.
“Ilhan’s win is a powerful rebuke to the influence of corporate money in our democracy,” Our Rev Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese told Common Dreams. “Her commitment to bold, progressive policies—whether it’s climate action, Medicare for All, or standing up for a permanent cease-fire and end to unconditional aid to Israel—resonates deeply.”
Bernie Sanders’ political revolution has brought millions of working people into the political process, and this week’s progressive victories are a direct result of his leadership.
Bernie ignited a movement that has profoundly reshaped American politics. His vision of a fair and just society has not only become a rallying cry for millions but has also driven the Democratic Party to embrace progressive policies.
The success of our entire slate of endorsed candidates shows that the people of Vermont, and Americans more broadly, are ready to embrace a future where government serves the interests of the people, not corporate and special interests. This is the power of organizing, and it’s how we will continue to win.
Alongside Bernie and Ilhan, Our Revolution is proud to celebrate the victories of a slate of progressive candidates who share his vision and dedication to the people of Vermont:
- David Zuckerman, re-elected as Lieutenant Governor, is a lifelong advocate for environmental justice and the rights of working people. His decades-long collaboration with Bernie Sanders and his commitment to fighting corporate power make him a crucial leader in Vermont’s progressive movement.
- Tanya Vyhovsky, newly elected to the State Senate for Chittenden-Central District, brings her background in social work and social justice to the forefront. Her victory underscores the demand for representation that truly reflects the voices of all Vermonters, particularly those fighting for affordable housing, a livable wage, and comprehensive healthcare.
- Brian Cina, re-elected to the Vermont State House in District 15, has long been a champion of progressive change. His leadership in the Climate Solutions Caucus and Social Equity Caucus, along with his work as Co-chair of the Working Vermonters Caucus, has been instrumental in advancing key progressive policies in Vermont.
- Emilie Kornheiser, re-elected to the Vermont State House in District 7 in Windham, continues her work to ensure equal rights, dignity, and access to essential services for all Vermonters. Her focus on creating a fair tax system to support quality healthcare, education, and affordable housing resonates deeply with the values of our movement.
- Emilie Krasnow, re-elected in South Burlington, played a pivotal role in passing historic legislation that holds fossil fuel corporations accountable for the climate damage they cause. Her work, alongside her colleagues on our slate, exemplifies the kind of bold action needed to address the climate crisis.
These victories are a testament to the power of grassroots organizing and the enduring appeal of progressive values and policies. Our Revolution is proud to stand with these leaders as they continue the work of transforming Vermont and our nation.