We woke up to a new day.

Maybe you didn’t sleep because you were too excited. Or maybe you got your first good night’s sleep in months. Either way, take a minute and let it sink in. Last night was worth it.

It wasn’t easy getting here. If you do this work, you know how many times it felt impossible: long stretches of bad news, loud money and someone always telling you to tone it down or quietly back away from what you believe. Some days, staying motivated was the work.

You stayed anyway. Look at what that bought us.

In the same year as Louisiana v. Callais and the gerrymandering that attacked the power of the vote, Keisha Lance Bottoms was elected the first Black woman governor in U.S. history. Juliana Stratton’s win means three Black women will serve in the Senate together for the first time. There will be a record five Black governors. Deb Haaland will be the first Native American woman to lead a U.S. state, and Peggy Flanagan the first Native American woman in the U.S. Senate. Abdul El-Sayed will be the first Muslim senator, and Chris Pappas the first openly gay man elected to the Senate. Xavier Becerra will be California’s first elected Latino governor, Gina Hinojosa won in Texas and will become the state’s first Latina governor, and Amy Acton became Ohio’s first elected woman governor (and first Jewish governor!). These wins proved that at its best, America can be big, beautiful and diverse. We can choose hope over fear and we can be unapologetic in our values, especially the belief that everyone belongs. 

Last night also opened a window for transformational change toward a people-first politics. Corporations increased their contributions by 40% in the 2026 election cycle, with a record $646 million to political campaigns so far! Not only did they not succeed, but in Montana, voters backed a measure to limit corporate and dark money in elections with roughly two-thirds of the vote. Spitfire and our partners on the Montana Plan campaign and the Transparent Election Initiative will now look to take that effort nationwide. In an election where funding from super PACs hit $2 billion months ago, we know why ending Citizens United’s stranglehold on politics is so important, and we see that there is a real path to win.

The lessons we keep sharing worked in practice:

  • Stick to your values, even when you’re pushed to tone them down.
  • Be authentic. Speak like a real person and say what you mean.
  • Invite people in, especially when you don’t agree on everything. We don’t all have to use the same words or agree on every issue to be able to work together.
  • Have fun. The people having the most fun will always win.

At Spitfire, our job is to push: to ask for clarity, to hold the line when hedging would be easier, and to keep going when everyone is tired. That push was needed, and our partners met it. I’m proud of what we did together.

Today is for enjoying it. There is so much work ahead, and we are ready for it. LFG.