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National Briefing • Thursday, February 20�8pm ET • 7pm CT • 6pm MT • 5pm PT

The Most Important Swing State Election of 2025

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Billy Wimsatt

(he/him)

Founder & Executive Director

Movement Voter PAC

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About MVP

Movement Voter PAC (MVP) is a one-stop shop to support hundreds of amazing organizations that work year-round to win elections, pass policy, transform communities and culture.

​

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PRESIDENT 2028

SENATE 2026

HOUSE 2026

STATE POWER

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MVP’s Role in the Movement

SOME CONTEXT FOR MVP NEWCOMERS:

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What We Don’t Do:

  • Do on-the-ground organizing
  • Run issue campaigns
  • Lead voter-contact programs
  • Directly support candidates
  • Improve the Democratic Party

Important work – just not our lane!

What We Do:

  • Organize & advise donors
  • Fund orgs & movements
  • Strengthen grantees’ work �(advising + capacity building)
  • Build state & national alliances
  • Influence movement strategy
    • Movement partners & allies
    • Political & civic philanthropy
    • The Democratic Party (aspirationally)

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Briefing FAQs

Photo: Voces de la Frontera Action | Wisconsin (Credit: Claudia Martinez)

  • YES! You can invite others (movement.vote/briefing)
  • YES! We’ll email recording + slides in 1-2 days.
  • Want to ask questions offline? �Use Zoom’s Q&A feature.
  • 30-Minute Office Hours �(optional after the call)
  • Intro yourself in the chat + 3 Spicy Prompts…

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3 Spicy Prompts

🌶️🌶️🌶️ PROMPT 1: Will the dynamics of 2026 + 2028 elections be quasi-normal (similar to 2022-2024) or full-on autocracy? �(1 = quasi-normal, 10 = autocracy)

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🌶️🌶️🌶️ PROMPT 2: Democratic Party: “Needs Modest Tweaks” vs. “Blow it Up and Reinvent from Scratch!” �(1 = modest tweaks, 10 = blow it up and re-invent)

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🌶️🌶️🌶️ PROMPT 3: Outside game (MVP & our allies): “Needs Modest Tweaks” vs. “Blow it Up and Reinvent from Scratch!” �(1 = modest tweaks, 10 = blow it up and re-invent)

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Rome is burning. Why are we talking about Wisconsin??

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3 Burning Questions

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“What are you doing about �the MEDIA situation?”

“What are you doing about �the freaking CRISIS RIGHT NOW???”

“Does field organizing even still work? How can we make it better?”

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3 Quick Answers

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Stop Trump

  • Protect vulnerable communities
  • Legal interventions
  • Pressure Congress
  • Win House in 2026

Organizing

  • Deep dive w/ grantees
  • Real organizing vs. shallow voter contact
  • Try new things �(+ revive awesome old things)!

Media

  • Rethink everything!
  • Map the landscape
  • R&D investments
  • Scale up smart stuff and experiment!

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This MAGA Era will come to an end.

ZOOMING OUT:

Tomorrow We Vote | Arizona

We can influence how this unfolds — and what comes after.

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Trump Approval has Fallen 5 Points

Graphic: FiveThirtyEight aggregate polling, 2/20/2025

GOOD NEWS!

  • Worse than any president since 1953 (Gallup, 2/19/2025)
  • We expect it to go down more
  • This will hinder his agenda
  • We need to lead and organize with the vision to win and make things better for everyday working people

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Our Framework for 2025

MVP is investing in four key goals in 2025-2028 to mitigate the harm of the Trump presidency and then bring the MAGA era to an end:

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Innovate �and upgrade

social movements’ approach to media, narrative, and more.

Win�long-term governing power and policy change at every level.

Build

state-level power through local organizing and big-tent alliances.

Block �the Trump agenda and protect our most vulnerable communities.

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How to Move Money Through MVP

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Over $5k

Contact your MVP Philanthropic Advisor

OR email: advisor@movement.vote

Up to $5k

Contribute online: movement.vote/feb20

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First 100 Days �= R&D for the next 4 years!

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Where Will the Money Go?

THE COMEBACK CAMPAIGN

MVP has six funding priorities for the First 100 Days:

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GOAL: BLOCK THE TRUMP AGENDA

Pressure Congress: Stop MAGA Bills

GOAL: BLOCK THE TRUMP AGENDA

Protect Vulnerable Communities

GOAL: BUILD STATE-LEVEL POWER

Strengthen �State-Level Organizing

GOAL: WIN LONG-TERM POWER

Defend the Wisconsin Supreme Court

GOAL: WIN LONG-TERM POWER

Take Back the House �in 2026

GOAL: INNOVATE AND UPGRADE

Scale Up �Progressive Media

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Example: Defending Birthright Citizenship

Photo: CASA press conference, celebrating preliminary injunction on Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship | 2/5/2025

STRATEGIC PRIORITY #1:�PROTECTING VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES

In January 2025, MVP partner CASA and others filed CASA v. Trump to stop Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship. On February 5, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction, blocking the order.

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Example: Pushing Municipalities to Pass the Trust Act

STRATEGIC PRIORITY #1:�PROTECTING VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES

Photo: Casa San Jose | Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, a coalition of MVP partners are pushing municipalities to pass the Trust Act, which ends proactive collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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Example: Mobilizing Michigan to Stop the Coup

Screenshot: The Detroit News, “Protesters target local congressional offices over Elon Musk access, demand action” | 2/10/2025

STRATEGIC PRIORITY #2: PRESSURING CONGRESS

A dozen Michigan partner groups are organizing call-ins, protests, and lobby days pressuring their entire congressional delegation to stop Trump and Elon Musk from slashing critical programs.

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Target GOP-Held House Districts

Source: AP News, updated 2/19/2025

STRATEGIC PRIORITY #2: PRESSURING CONGRESS

Districts listed by 2024 margin. Targets updated 2/19/25.

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STATES WITH TARGET GOP HOUSE MEMBERS

GOP SEATS WON BY ≤3% IN 2024

District

Margin (%)

Margin (Votes)

IA-01

-0.2%

799

CO-08

-0.7%

2,449

PA-07

-1.0%

4,062

PA-10

-1.3%

5,133

PA-08

-1.6%

6,252

NE-02

-1.9%

5,829

AK-01

-2.4%

7,876

AZ-06

-2.5%

10,822

WI-03

-2.7%

11,256

CA-41

-3.4%

11,987

IA-03

-3.8%

15,784

District

Margin (%)

Margin (Votes)

AZ-01

-3.9%

16,700

NJ-07

-5.9%

25,026

MI-10

-6.1%

26,088

NY-17

-6.3%

23,813

CA-22

-6.8%

11,461

FL-13

-9.6%

81,541

WI-01

-10.2%

40,112

NY-01

-10.4%

42,745

FL-27

-20.8%

68,451

NY-11

-28.2%

73,513

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The Wisco Remix

Win

Innovate

Build

Block

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Reema Ahmad

(she/her)

Wisconsin State Advisor

Movement Voter PAC

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Roadmap to a Progressive Wisconsin

WISCONSIN: THE BIGGER PICTURE

Can We Win �a Trifecta?!

  • Perfect storm brewing
  • 50% of State Senate up for election
  • We can recruit strong Assembly candidates
  • Gov likely to run again
  • Can we win it all?

Defeated GOP Gov. Walker

  • Historically close race
  • Tony Evers (D) beats Gov. Scott Walker (R)
  • Ends 8-year GOP rule

Flipped State Supreme Court

  • Liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz wins open seat in landslide
  • Court tosses out GOP-rigged maps
  • Opens door for new fair legislative maps!

Fair Maps �at Last!

  • Dems hold all State Assembly seats and flip 10; trim GOP majority to 54-45
  • Dems flip 4 State Senate seats, end GOP supermajority (party split: 18-15)

Defeated �Trump

  • Biden wins by 20,682 votes (0.6%)
  • WI is the “tipping point” state
  • MVP partners make 9+ million voter contact attempts

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2018

2020

2023

2024

2026

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2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court Race

APRIL 1: THE MOST IMPORTANT SWING-STATE ELECTION OF 2025

  • 7 Justices, 10-year terms
  • Non-partisan elections
  • Current 4-3 liberal majority

If we win, we have the chance to:

  • Deflate Trump’s phony “mandate”
  • Protect fair elections in 2028 (Pres + Senate)
  • Possibly un-gerrymander a GOP House seat
  • Strengthen voting rights
  • Repeal an 1849 state abortion ban
  • Restore collective bargaining rights
  • Ensure fair redistricting in 2031 (6 years away!)

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Mandela Barnes

(he/him)

​

Former Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin President of Power to the Polls Wisconsin

Featured Speakers

REPRESENTING MVP’S WISCONSIN LOCAL PARTNERS

Jenelle Ludwig Krause

(she/her)

​

Executive Director

GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW)

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Q&A

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Fund the Work on the Ground!

WHAT TO DO NOW

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Where Will the Money Go?

THE COMEBACK CAMPAIGN

MVP has six funding priorities for the First 100 Days:

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GOAL: BLOCK THE TRUMP AGENDA

Pressure Congress: Stop MAGA Bills

GOAL: BLOCK THE TRUMP AGENDA

Protect Vulnerable Communities

GOAL: BUILD STATE-LEVEL POWER

Strengthen �State-Level Organizing

GOAL: WIN LONG-TERM POWER

Defend the Wisconsin Supreme Court

GOAL: WIN LONG-TERM POWER

Take Back the House �in 2026

GOAL: INNOVATE AND UPGRADE

Scale Up �Progressive Media

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How to Move Money Through MVP

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Over $5k

Contact your MVP Philanthropic Advisor

OR email: advisor@movement.vote

Up to $5k

Contribute online: movement.vote/feb20

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Building a Movement of Donors

Local Hubs

  • Washington State
  • Bay Area
  • Chicago
  • DC / Maryland / Virginia
  • New York
  • Rhode Island
  • Eastern & Western MA

In Conversation

  • Portland, OR
  • Los Angeles
  • Colorado
  • Texas
  • Minnesota
  • Wisconsin
  • North Carolina
  • Pennsylvania
  • Maine

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Thank you!

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Welcome to MVP Office Hours!

  • Ask us your burning questions about:
    • Wisconsin
    • What you heard on this call
    • The State of the country + what we should do
    • MVP’s strategy
  • Use Zoom “Raise Hand” feature or share in the chat
  • Be mindful of the time! Give context but Be concise!
  • Want to pitch something? Please do it in the chat!

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