Greetings everyone. Got an action packed Friday Hopium for you…..
At noon today county boards of elections in North Carolina begin mailing absentee ballots to voters who requested them for the November 2026 general election. Here’s former NC Governor and Attorney General Roy Cooper last night on Trump’s escalating efforts to disrupt mail voting this November and what it means for North Carolina voters:
Let’s use North Carolina as a model for what to do now that ballots will be reaching voters in the next few days. While Hopium has launched ** a national campaign to encourage people to vote early** activists in every state
I just called our good friend NC Dem Chair Anderson Clayton to get her take on things as voting begins. She told me the NCDP is putting out specific guidance for how people in North Carolina should approach voting of all kinds this fall, and they are still in need of volunteers for their robust election protection program. It’s clear from our call that Anderson and the NC Dem Party have worked very, very hard to be prepared to fight the fuckery to come. If you are a North Carolina Hopium community member I strongly urge you to get in touch with the NCDP today and offer to become part of their ambitious election protection program.
For those who go though our new state party/DNC **Democracy Protector **training program your name will be shared with your state party’s election protection program automatically. Our next national training is Wednesday, September 9th at 8pm ET. Learn more and sign up today here. My hope is that every member of this community goes through this excellent training in the coming weeks and get plugged into your state party’s program.
This morning NBC News writes about the unprecedented national efforts underway to protect our elections this fall and ensure a peaceful transfer of power this November - ** Democrats mobilize an ‘unprecedented’ defense to combat potential election disruption**.
The new national program we are helping the state parties roll out all across the country gets a terrific shout out. Here’s an excerpt from the story:
Interviews with more than a dozen party leaders, attorneys, democracy groups and elected officials reveal an unprecedented Democratic effort to combat potential disruption of the midterm elections.
Democrats and pro-democracy groups have engaged in dozens of intensive exercises both in public and behind closed doors, attempting to anticipate and work through all the ways they think President Donald Trump and his allies could try to sabotage the election process — before, during or after the vote.
The preparations also go far beyond tabletop drills. Attorneys have drafted legal briefs and potential litigation for nearly every type of scenario — including federal law enforcement intimidation at the polls — to be ready to launch if something comes up.
“Our team, working with colleagues and partners and clients, has already begun preparing all of the materials we’ll need to be in court in a heartbeat,” Norm Eisen, with Democracy Defenders Action, said. Eisen said he participated in about a dozen tabletop exercises, including two extensive simulations with Democratic senators and other elections experts. “We have begun the preparation. It would be malpractice not to be ready for anything that is coming down the pike.”
Aria Branch, a partner with the Elias Law Group, which is leading the legal work for most Democratic Party committees, added that the timing around the midterms was “an all-hands-on-deck moment to combat these threats.”
Fearing issues with the mail-in ballots, Democrats are also readying a major push for voters to cast their ballots early — and in person. Democratic groups say they’re poised to train tens of thousands of poll observers, including some who are modeling training used for activists in Minneapolis during a massive immigration enforcement presence this year.
Perhaps the most comprehensive effort in the works is called the New Battlefield Project, which aims to train tens of thousands of “democracy protectors” to observe polling places. It aims to amplify a call for in-person voting, help create a centralized information hub for Democrats in each state and ensure there is a director for election protection in all 50 states (filling gaps for the Democratic National Committee, which has fielded more than 30 and is also associated with the project).
The New Battlefield effort was launched through the Association of State Democratic Committees led by the group’s president, Nebraska Democratic State Party Chair Jane Kleeb, and Simon Rosenberg, a longtime Democratic operative and organizer who now runs
[Hopium Chronicles], a newsletter and grassroots group.The observer training is modeled after Minneapolis Democrats’ training for constitutional observers, which was put together earlier this year after thousands of immigration officers descended on the city. It will train volunteers to use video on their phones to track and document behaviors of federal law enforcement or other potential threats in a lawful manner.
“Trump’s assault on our democracy is unprecedented. The effort to protect our democracy and our freedoms is also unprecedented,” Rosenberg said. As for the voter push, Rosenberg said Democratic groups will first promote voting in person and early. They’ll also stress using drop boxes and voting by mail — in that order.
Great work everyone!
One In Five Trump Voters Now Regret Their Vote - Remarkable new research from Navigator:
Trump Got An OK Jobs Report Today. He Still Has The Worst Jobs Record Of Any President Since Hoover:
And yes his tariffs continue to be ruinous economic policy:
As is his failed war:
If you haven’t gotten to it here’s my weekly comprehensive overview of the 2026 elections, As Bad As Things Are For Trump And The Rs Now - And They Are Bad - They Are Likely To Get Worse.
We also have terrific news discussions with Josh Turek (Iowa), Bobby Pulido (TX-15), Stuart Stevens, WI Dem Chair Devin Remiker, Tom Bonier on fake polls, and Dr. Rob Shapiro on how Dems should be approaching repairing the US economy next year. Lots of meaty and encouraging stuff in here!
Now, my friends, it’s that time! Time…..
Our Daily Mantra:
There is nothing Trump and MAGA wants more than for us to be fighting with each other and not with him. We have one job now - elect as many of these wonderful candidates running for the House and Senate as we can. It’s where our focus must be. It’s a year of opportunity for us across the country. We must seize it, together.
Make your plans to vote early, and ensure everyone you know is voting early too! It’s one of the most important things you can do this election season. Early voting starts in Virginia in 16 days!
**Our Winning The House Campaign **- Donate | $1,190,100 raised, $1,250,000 goal (new stretch goal) | Donate to all twelve of our initial wave of House challengers with a single contribution split twelve ways | Get to know Jamie Ager (NC-11), Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Paige Cognetti (PA-08), Rebecca Cooke (WI-03), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Sean McCann (MI-04), Jo Mendoza (AZ-06), Chaz Molder (TN-05), Jonathan Nez (AZ-02), Janelle Stelson (PA-10), Shannon Taylor (VA-01), and Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-03) by watching our recently recorded Hopium interviews.
Friends, if these twelve courageous candidates win, the House will flip, even with Callais and their rancid mid-decade redistricting. So eyes on the prize here everyone!
Winning The Senate - $830,100 raised, $1,200,000 goal - Donate | This new fund splits a single donation to our six candidates must likely to flip a Senate seat this November - Sherrod Brown (OH), Roy Cooper (NC), Troy Jackson (ME), Mary Peltola (AK), James Talarico (TX), and Josh Turek (IA).
Our working total includes what we’ve raised for these six so far through direct donations to their campaigns. You can watch our interviews with each of these exciting candidates and/or contribute directly to any of them directly here.
**Winning The House - The Second Wave Fund **- Donate | $346,100 raised, $500,000 goal - We’ve launched a second House fund, one supporting candidates who’ve emerged from late, primaries and need a bit more help.
Our newly expanded list now features Rebecca Bennett (NJ-07), Bob Brooks (PA-07), Cait Conley (NY-17), Johnny Garcia (TX-35), Bob Harvie (PA-01), Dr. Richard Pan (CA-06), Denise Powell (NE-02), Bobby Pulido (TX-15), Manny Rutinel (CO-8), Dr. Amish Shah (AZ-01), Randy Villegas (CA-22), and Marni von Wilpert (CA-48).
A donation to the Second Wave Fund is split evenly among these twelve, and more as other worthy candidates emerge from their primaries. Our total above includes money we’ve raised for directly for each candidate. You can watch interviews with these great candidates here.
Winning The House - The Third Wave Fund - Donate | $31,400 raised, $500,000 goal | We’ve launched this new fund for candidates who have emerged even later from primaries and need a bit more help as we work to expand our map and go deeper into tough terrain. Our initial list - and it may grow - is Christina Hines (MI-10), Lindsay James (IA-02), Jake Johnson (MN-01), Jessica Killin (CO-5), Nancy Lacore (SC-01), and Brian Poindexter (OH-7).
The “Winning” link in each state brings you to a page that includes interviews and more information about the opportunities we have in each state.
**Winning Georgia ***- *Donate | $37,100 raised, $250,000 goal | Our Winning Georgia campaign splits a contribution three ways among Senator Jon Ossoff, gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, and the Georgia Democratic Party and it’s great Chair, Charlie Bailey.
Winning Iowa - Donate | $39,100 raised, $250,000 goal | Our Winning Iowa campaign splits a contribution three ways among Josh Turek for Senate, our gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, and to the Iowa Democratic Party and it’s great Chair, Rita Hart
**Winning Maine **- Donate | $84,100 raised, $250,000 goal | Our Winning Maine campaign splits a contribution evenly among Troy Jackson for Senate, Hannah Pingree for Governor, and the Maine Democratic Party and its Chair Charlie Dingman
Winning Ohio - Donate | $199,100 raised, $250,000 goal | Our Winning Ohio campaign splits contributions evenly among Sherrod Brown, the Acton-Pepper ticket, and the Ohio Democratic Party and its terrific Chair, Kathleen Clyde
Winning Wisconsin - Donate | $18,600 raised, $250,000 goal - Our Winning Wisconsin campaign splits contributions evenly among David Crowley for Governor and the Wisconsin Democratic Party and it’s legislative victory fund. Our community has invested heavily in getting helping Wisconsin Democrats flip both state legislative chambers and finally get a trifecta. Now we must finish the job!
Greg Sargent
