Dancing in the streets

Just in case you missed it, something pretty remarkable happened last Sunday in Hungary.

Péter Magyar defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — an authoritarian who had been in power for 16 years — and he didn’t just win the parliamentary election…he won in a landslide.

And the reaction? Pure joy. People flooding the streets of Budapest, celebrating, dancing — including Hungarian politician Zsolt Hegedűs, who really leaned into the moment.

The thing: this could be us in November after we flip the House and the Senate and put a big check on Trump and his Republican sycophants.

Orbán’s loss is a blow to Trump, Vladimir Putin, and to those here at home who admire authoritarianism (and yes, I’m looking at folks like JD Vance, who just traveled to Hungary to campaign for Orbán).

Momentum matters. Hope matters. And showing up — especially now — really matters.

Let’s make sure we’re ready to have our own “dancing in the streets” moment.

Al

P.S. This Tuesday, April 21, Virginians have an opportunity to stop Trump’s MAGA power grab in its tracks by voting YES on a critical redistricting amendment. Early voting is underway, and Republican voters are turning out in greater numbers right nowPlease donate now to help organizations like Virginians for Fair Elections cut through the misinformation and get Democrats to the polls. 

Midwest Values PAC supports candidates & causes that share our values.

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Somehow, it’s been 20 years since I started Midwest Values PAC to help Democrats win elections — 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.

Since 2006, Midwest Values PAC has invested more than $4 million in 341 candidates and organizations — and counting. 

Of course, none of this happens without you (or supporters like you) who care enough to pitch in.

As we mark our 20th anniversary, the work is more urgent than ever. 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.

To mark our 20th year, we’ve set an ambitious goal: 26,000 contributions by Election Day 2026.

Thanks for being part of this fight, and for sticking with us for 20 years (or for just joining — welcome!).

Al

P.S. 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.