Here's What Democratic Donors Should Do After the Election
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In a few short days, one of the most contentious and news-grabbing midterm elections cycles in recent memory will finally be over, meaning that progressive political pros and hobbyists will at the very least have some tension in their lives ratcheted down, win or lose. Right?
Wrong. Unfortunately, even if Democrats outperform expectations this Tuesday, don’t expect much relief. Trump is planning to announce his 2024 campaign shortly after the election, while there’s a decent chance that both parties will still be fighting for weeks if not months after November 8. As we detailed in a post earlier this week, both parties have been marshaling money and lawyers to battle out election results in court. Meanwhile, the Senate race in Georgia could, as in 2020, head for a contentious, high-stakes, and expensive runoff.
These post-election fights will undoubtedly lead to Democratic politicians and PACs shaking their tin cups ever more urgently; whether most of those dollars raised will actually be used to “defend democracy” in the coming months is an open question.
This is a good moment for donors to take a step back. While Blue Tent may well recommend giving to win some post-election battles over the next few months, our larger advice is to breathe deeply and recalibrate your priorities. Don’t jump into the next cycle of anxiety giving. Instead, shift your focus to thinking for the long term in a careful, strategic way.
Progressives still need investments in infrastructure for the next two years and beyond
Whatever happens on Tuesday, we know one thing: Democrats will still control the executive branch, even if there is a much dreaded “red wave.” Joe Biden will still be president come January, and whether Democrats lose one or both chambers of Congress, they’ll need serious outside help to continue defending or advancing progressive police.
One top priority is supporting national policy groups, which will play a critical role in pushing back against GOP attacks on the federal safety net and key regulations — as well as working to finagle whatever wins are possible with a divided government and fully implement legislation passed since 2021. We recommend giving to the Roosevelt Institute, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Economic Policy Institute, along with Public Citizen, Project on Government Oversight, and Center for Progressive Reform. These organizations focus on the often overlooked, nitty-gritty workings of the legislative and executive branches. Because they can play this inside game, they are a critical defenders of our values in the nation’s capital.
Grassroots organizing should remain a top priority; progressives need a people-powered movement to be successful in any form, from fighting off GOP attacks on Social security and Medicare to pushing for executive orders or winning future elections. Organizing working-class voters and other key Democratic constituencies will be vital for progressives for both the next few years, as well as long into the future. Donors should give to Blue Tent’s highly recommended grassroots groups, such as Community Change, Midwest Academy and National Domestic Workers Alliance (all three groups are 501(c)(3)s, though both Community Change and NDWA include (c)(4) arms; giving to the (c)(3) is tax deductible).
Depending on the results in the Senate race in Georgia, donors may also look to support a potential runoff campaign by giving to grassroots groups in the state. We’ll be back in touch about that.
The federal courts will remain a key battleground
The judiciary is another area that must remain a major priority for progressives, especially if Democrats are able to retain their Senate majority. In that scenario, confirming a slew of district and circuit court judges will likely become the single most impactful and achievable goal for Biden and the Democrats until 2024. In its first two years, the Biden administration has been highly effective at filling the courts, and it’s one of the few areas where more conservative Democratic senators, like West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, have been willing and enthusiastic partners.
Like organizing the working class, winning the war for the courts and the legal system requires both short- and long-term thinking by progressives. Outside groups need funding to push for judicial confirmations in the coming two years (or, depending on Tuesday’s results, merely the next two months) as well as sustained resources to win the battle for ideas in the legal profession. We point donors to two groups: Demand Justice, the judiciary-focused group that has been a major player in the Biden administration’s sprint to fill the courts since 2020; as well as People’s Parity Project, home to a growing movement of progressive lawyers and law students working to redefine their profession.
The big (slightly boring) picture
Many of the recommendations we’ve made above are far from exciting, especially compared to giving money to vanquish a villain like Herschel Walker or Dr. Oz. But these organizations are the lifeblood of building a progressive movement that can achieve real change, and deserve support. Giving to these groups in a sustained way is easier than ever now, with numerous platforms where donors can set recurring contributions.
What voters do on November 8 will have a major impact on what happens in the next two years; what we all decide to do after this Tuesday, however, could determine what is possible in the next 50.