Somehow, it’s been 20 years since I started Midwest Values PAC to help Democrats win elections. So far, Midwest Values PAC has invested more than $4 million in 341 candidates and organizations — and counting.
Twenty. Years. I know — when I say it out loud, it makes me feel, well, 20 years older.
Honestly, I never thought 20 years ago that in the year 2026, we’d be fighting to save our democracy from an authoritarian President and a Republican party I don’t even recognize, but here we are.
Since 2006, Midwest Values PAC has supported progressive Democrats all across the country — from progressive organizations to state legislatures to Congress to the White House — who share the values I grew up with in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.
Economic and social justice. The importance of quality education and the promise of clean energy. Accountability for the powerful and opportunity for everyone.
And we believe elections matter — that they offer a real choice between two competing sets of values. Most importantly, we believe our values are worth fighting for.
Over the years, okay, decades, we’ve helped Democrats win tough races all across the country by investing early, intelligently, and strategically. That’s how you flip seats. That’s how you protect democracy. And that’s how you stop the worst impulses of a president who never should have been president in the first place.
We focus on the races and causes that affect people’s everyday lives: Senate races. Governors’ races. Secretary of State races. The races that build the Democratic bench. If it matters, we’re paying attention.
And it does matter.
Just this cycle, we’ve supported everyone from state parties like the Minnesota DFL and Wisconsin Democrats, to ballot initiatives like California’s Prop 50, to candidates like Peggy Flanagan, Roy Cooper, Mikie Sherrill, Abigail Spanberger, and Josh Riley, to organizations like EMILY’s List and the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State.
Of course, none of this happens without you (or supporters like you) who care enough to pitch in.
This year, we have a big job: flip the House, take the Senate, and win up and down the ballot at the state and local level.
And to mark our 20th year, we’ve set an ambitious goal: 26,000 contributions by Election Day 2026.
That may take some time — but I believe in us.
And please don’t get cute. Don’t give $1 twenty-six times. I mean, I admire the creativity. And of course, all contributions are welcome. But you know what I mean.
Thanks for being part of this fight, and for sticking with us for 20 years (or for just joining — welcome!).
Al
P.S. In the spirit of transparency: while we came very close, we didn’t quite hit our $1 million end-of-year goal. We fell $18,217.08 short. If you can chip in $5, $25, or $50 today, it would go a long way toward closing the gap — and powering the work ahead.
