Just one Democratic incumbent is running in a “Lean Republican” district.1
That district’s CBS affiliate recently started a news segment with “This week, Congressman Don Davis announced that he signed the ‘Promise to America’ pledge, making it clear he’s putting eastern North Carolina first …”
Similar news stories stretch to the westernmost district in North Carolina, where Jamie Ager2 is running, and thousands of miles farther west in Rep. Susie Lee’s Nevada. And up to New Hampshire, where even prominent GOP operatives admit that Rep. Maggie Goodlander “embraced the principles in ‘The Promise to America’ with sincerity, and it is also the smart move politically.”
Sincerity & Smart Politics
Today is the 100th day of the Promise to America, which launched on June 3 at WelcomeFest with a concise shared vision for commonsense Democrats. After introductions from the team of fellows who launched this initiative, the only two Democrats to flip Trump districts last cycle, founding signers Rep. Adam Gray & Rep. Tom Suozzi, discussed the need for such specificity & organizing energy with Matthew Yglesias.
Yes, it is smart politics. And yes, moderate Democrats who make majorities in Trump districts have to be for something and not just against high-profile movements, whether it be DSA or MAGA.
But the sincerity is what pops. The key principles of the Promise - growth, competition and broad prosperity; safety, security and human dignity; fiscal discipline; government that works; free speech, respect, and common purpose; patriotism - may be good politics for candidates.
And a succinct common denominator across those over-performing candidates, who typically build individual brands distinct from the party, may also be good politics for moderates.
But it only really works because those beliefs are sincerely held.
You can watch that conversation here:
Tom Suozzi & Adam Gray Discuss The Promise to America
At this year’s WelcomeFest, Matt Yglesias sat down with the two House Democrats who pulled off something no one else in the Party managed to do in 2024: flip districts Donald Trump won. Rep. Adam Gray represents California’s 13th in the Central Valley. Rep. Tom Suozzi won back New York’s 3rd, the Long Island seat once held by George Santos.
Substack Live at 2pm
If you’ve opened quickly and read this far, join a conversation on Substack Live shortly with a Promise signer. It is not just members of Congress signing on; it is dozens of state & local elected officials from Maryland to Maine to South Dakota.
One of those leaders, Massachusetts state Senator John Velis, will join PTA Director Felix Frisch for a Substack Live starting in a few minutes at 2:00pm ET. You can join on the Substack app or at WelcomeStack.org to submit a question (or watch later!)
Velis has flipped two districts from red to blue, one in the state House and one in the state Senate.
But it is not just downballot overperformers signing onto the Promise either - more than a thousand active citizens have signed on, fueled by the need for more organized representation. More than a hundred of those have joined an organizing meeting in the last 100 days.
And you too can sign on at ThePromiseToAmerica.com. Here’s to more articles, more community, and another 100 days of sincerity, community, and good politics!
According to Cook Political Report’s House Race ratings
Dynamic candidate Jamie Ager is now on Substack, subscribe here!