December 13, 2025

It’s been a bad month for Republicans at the ballot box. In early November, the country made its feelings loud and clear, ushering in Democratic victories in Virginia, New Jersey and California. 

Now, we can add Florida and Georgia to that ever-growing list. 

On Tuesday, Miami elected a Democratic mayor for the first time in nearly 30 years. Eileen Higgins bested Republican Emilio Gonzalez, who served on Donald Trump’s Homeland Security transition team and was endorsed by the president. 

Meanwhile, in Georgia, Republicans experienced an ugly upset. Democrat Eric Gisler won in a special election for a historically red Georgia state House seat. He beat Republican Mack “Dutch” Guest by about 200 votes. 

Let’s be clear: Voters aren’t just saying no to Republicans — they’re saying no to Trump. 

These victories aren’t happening in a vacuum. And a month after the blue wave on Nov. 4, it’s obvious that this is more than just a pattern. This is a message: the American people are not happy with Donald Trump and the Republican Party. 

They’re tired of their health care being used as a pawn. They’re sick of federal troops marching through their cities. They’re exhausted by seeing our Constitution burn to the ground as the rule of law is thrown out the window. 

From blue states like California to red states like Florida, voters are turning against the administration and the local foot soldiers who are doing their bidding. In a city that may very well be the home of Trump’s presidential library, Miami voters expressed fear about their families being detained and frustration with the administration’s lack of humanity. And in Georgia, where the state House victory took place in a district that voted for Trump by 12 points, the flip is no coincidence. 

Whether it's the economy, the Epstein Files or democracy itself, voters nationwide — Republicans included — are coming to understand the consequences of a second Trump administration.  

These victories aren’t small. Every win — from state House seats to governorships — matters. Every election Democrats win is a win for democracy. Every public official we send to state capitals and the country’s capital is another voice fighting our fight. 

Mayors like Eileen Higgins can use their power to fight federal deployments and strengthen the city’s resources with trusted lawyers and civil servants. In state Houses, representatives have repeatedly proven to be critical fighters in the battle against Republican redistricting. Just look at the embarrassing loss Trump suffered this week in Indiana.

At times like this, it is important to take a moment to appreciate this victory and the message it’s sending. The tide is turning in our favor. Democracy lives to see another day. When voters go to the polls, their voices are being heard. 

For now. 

The Republican losses in November and December are a bad omen for the GOP. Historically, the 2025 gubernatorial elections are a temperature check for the country. 

It didn’t take long to figure out the country was cold on Republican leadership. With most contests and runoffs finally resolved, Democrats gained 25 state Senate and House seats that were held by the GOP. Democrats also secured their largest majority in the Virginia House since the 1980s and expanded their control of the New Jersey Assembly. 

Republicans, on the other hand, failed to flip a single legislative seat. 

As a result, the GOP is hardened in its determination to suppress voting rights and rig the midterms to keep the GOP majority in Congress. 

We may have secured some recent victories, but we can’t put our guard down and we can’t ease up. I often write to you about Republican attacks on voting rights and election subversion. Early this week, I explained to you that gerrymandering was just the tip of the iceberg — two of the greatest threats to democracy are the Republican war on mail-in voting and the incessant demand for state voter rolls. 

We don’t have to look far in the past for an example. On Dec. 2, Trump’s Department of Justice sued six more states for their most sensitive voter data. In its press release, the DOJ insinuated that it is prepared to take over key parts of election administration in Blue states.

Voter suppression doesn’t just come in the form of attacking voting rights — it’s also voter intimidation. Just this week, when pressed by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Pentagon Principal Deputy General Counsel Charles Young said he would possibly obey an order to deploy National Guard troops to polling places during the midterm elections. 

Many Americans are already terrified to leave their homes in fear of being detained. Do you really think they would risk voting in this environment, surrounded by National Guard troops under the orders of Donald Trump? I don’t think so — and that’s exactly what Republicans want. 

This is just the beginning. Donald Trump knows that if he loses control of Congress in 2026, he loses his agenda. Trump can forget about his faithful Republican followers blocking the release of the Epstein Files. He can forget about his personal vendetta against the Affordable Care Act. And he can definitely forget about congressional Republicans allowing him to extend his reach into the legislative branch. 

A Democratic-controlled Congress would put a stop to his authoritarian power grab. That’s why we must be eagle-eyed as we watch for attacks on voting rights and intimidation. We must call out voter suppression whenever we see it. And we must urge those in power — the newly elected Democrats we sent to office — to use every resource they have to block Republicans from rigging the midterms. 

We may have a long way to go until 2026, but our fight starts now. 

Now, here's a little joy from our pawtners in the opposition.