A newly revealed donor memo shows Democrats are now reportedly preparing a sweeping, desperate and costly push to expand their political map into deep-red America ahead of the 2028 general election.
The document, from the progressive candidate recruitment group Run for Something, outlines a five-year, $50 million plan to identify, train, and fund Gen Z and millennial candidates in Republican-dominated states—an unusually ambitious attempt to rebuild Democratic influence after losses in 2024.
The memo, first shared with Politico, underscores a shift in Democratic strategy away from the so-called “blue wall” of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania—states that have historically served as the party’s electoral bulwark.
Instead, the plan focuses on a mix of battleground and conservative strongholds, including Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio, and Georgia, as well as deep-red states such as Utah, Nebraska, Iowa, Idaho, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Run for Something co-founder Amanda Litman described the organization’s effort as both a defensive and forward-looking response to long-term political changes.
She told Politico that demographic shifts are “going to open up more opportunities” for Democrats but cautioned that traditional strongholds alone can no longer secure national victories. “The core Blue Wall states, which Democrats have invested in for years, are not sufficient,” she said.
Litman argued that Democrats need to look beyond immediate electoral cycles and focus on building what she called “political infrastructure.” “We cannot keep hyper-targeting our work to only places that are seen as competitive right now,” she said, warning that the party must prepare for “the likely fall of the Voting Rights Act and the current round of redistricting” while looking ahead to 2032. “That’s why we have to expand the map,” she said.
The group’s strategy includes “shifting the brand” of the Democratic Party in areas where it currently holds little power by “fielding candidates who are vetted, with local ties, authentic.”
The approach suggests that Democrats hope to counter years of Republican dominance in state and local offices by grooming younger, more progressive candidates.
Run for Something was founded after Donald Trump’s first presidential victory and initially concentrated on local, non-congressional races.
The group claims to have helped more than 1,500 Democratic candidates win office. Now, Litman says the organization intends to return to those roots by developing a new generation of candidates from the ground up. “We only find those people by getting them to run for city council and school board,” she said.
The plan reflects an acknowledgment among Democrats that their traditional map is shrinking, with several swing states moving decisively toward the GOP in recent elections.
While the initiative represents an ambitious investment in rebuilding at the grassroots level, it also underscores the party’s growing challenge in connecting with voters across middle America—territory where Republicans have consolidated support and where progressive messaging may face an uphill climb.
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