The plan

Our Strategy

Our mission is to build enduring progressive power in state legislatures. We do this by supporting candidates, mobilizing volunteers, empowering lawmakers, and educating voters.

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10-Year Blueprint

A Decade of Ambition

Over the next ten years, we’re embarking on a bold journey to reshape political power in the states. With legislative maps now largely established, our focus sharpens on Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. As resources allow, we will strategically expand to additional states. 

Strategic Electoral Focus

Each year, we will pinpoint and engage in key battles to (1) flip chambers, (2) hold chambers, and (3) make inroads into states badly gerrymandered by Republicans. And in each multi-year phase, our efforts will concentrate on districts poised to catalyze broader victories, paving the way for transformative change up the ballot.

Infrastructure and Engagement

Although supporting campaigns is a major part of our work, we are not a campaign ourselves. Sister District was founded to break the boom-and-bust cycle elections, and to withstand shifting political tides. That’s why our commitment extends beyond immediate electoral contests. Throughout the decade, we will continue to invest in long-term strategies to support lawmakers, boost in-state organizing partners, spearhead impactful research, and shift narratives to heighten public involvement across these strategic states.

Vision for the Future

Sister District’s grassroots organizing power, together with our strategic, year-round programs, enable us to play a pivotal role in putting Democrats in the strongest position possible for redistricting in 2031, and laying the groundwork for the next decade to be marked by structural advantages and unprecedented opportunities for progress.

2022

Make Historic Gains

2023-2024

Defend and Hold

2025-2026

Maximizing Opportunities 

2027-2028

Holding the Line

2028-2029

Holding Majorities

2031-2032

Transforming the Map

>Made historic midterm gains, defying expectations in Biden’s first midterm and building momentum in key state chambers. Secured Democratic Trifectas in MI and MN, flipped the PA House.

>Invested in state-based local organizers—and continued to invest year after year.

>In the first cycle of redistricting, maximized new opportunities built on fairer maps in key states.

>Defended critical state chambers and seats while outperforming the top of the ticket in key races, including maintaining control of key chambers like PA House & MN Senate,  flipping the VA House, making key in-roads in the NC House by breaking the GOP supermajority and securing the largest Democratic caucus in the GA House in decades.

>Energized voters to turn out up and down the ballot, securing key wins in battleground states.

>In 2025, maximize opportunities in Virginia to hold the House of Delegates, paving the way for a Democratic trifecta by driving support all the way up the ticket to flip the Governorship.

>Win state chambers in Senate, Gubernatorial, and Secretary of State battlegrounds and press the historic advantage of the party in the White House suffering strong electoral headwinds in the midterm election.  

>Continue to build and leverage our national volunteer network to engage voters and replicate our 2022-style midterm success.

>Hold the Virginia Senate and House and defend our gains in preparation for the next presidential election, where an open-seat race will drive national attention.

>Prioritize and defend crucial four year term seats as they face voters for their last time prior to redistricting after the 2030 election. 

>Sustaining voter engagement and protecting our progress will be key.

>Win state chambers in the final opportunity before redistricting and the next round of legislative map-drawing.

>Emphasizing the stakes will be critical to motivating voters and educating them about the Census.

>Compete in newly expanded state legislative battlegrounds, seizing opportunities to build long-term Democratic power.

>The prior 8 years’ work will culminate with this cycle,  ushering in a new era of progressive leadership up and down the ballot.

10-Year Blueprint

A Decade of Ambition

Over the next ten years, we’re embarking on a bold journey to reshape political power in the states. With legislative maps now largely established, our focus sharpens on Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. As resources allow, we will strategically expand to additional states. 

Strategic Electoral Focus

Each year, we will pinpoint and engage in key battles to (1) flip chambers, (2) hold chambers, and (3) make inroads into states badly gerrymandered by Republicans. And in each multi-year phase, our efforts will concentrate on districts poised to catalyze broader victories, paving the way for transformative change up the ballot.

Infrastructure and Engagement

Although supporting campaigns is a major part of our work, we are not a campaign ourselves. Sister District was founded to break the boom-and-bust cycle elections, and to withstand shifting political tides. That’s why our commitment extends beyond immediate electoral contests. Throughout the decade, we will continue to invest in long-term strategies to support lawmakers, boost in-state organizing partners, spearhead impactful research, and shift narratives to heighten public involvement across these strategic states.

Vision for the Future

Sister District’s grassroots organizing power, together with our strategic, year-round programs, enable us to play a pivotal role in putting Democrats in the strongest position possible for redistricting in 2031, and laying the groundwork for the next decade to be marked by structural advantages and unprecedented opportunities for progress.

Our Map

In 2025, Sister District will invest heavily in Virginia in targeted purple districts where we plan to have an outsized impact. We will also engage strategically with special elections where we have the opportunity to impact progressive power in key states.

2025: Virginia

  • Hold the VA House and drive engagement to flip the VA Governor’s mansion for a Democratic trifecta
  • Special Elections: Endorse in special state legislative elections when strategically appropriate

2026: Target States: AZ, GA, MI, MN, NC, NV, PA, WI

  • Blue Flips: MN (House), WI (Senate and Assembly), MI (House), AZ (House and Senate)
  • Blue Holds: PA (House), MN (Senate), MI (Senate), NV (Assembly and Senate)
  • Blue Inroads: PA (Senate), GA (House), NC (House and Senate)
  • Nested Opportunities: Prioritize states with nested competitive US Senate, US House, and Gubernatorial elections
  • Incumbent Protection: Invest in fragile incumbents. Incumbent protection has always been a key component of our electoral strategy

Our Map

In 2025, Sister District will invest heavily in Virginia in targeted purple districts where we plan to have an outsized impact. We will also engage strategically with special elections where we have the opportunity to impact progressive power in key states.

2025: Virginia

  • Hold the VA House and drive engagement to flip the VA Governor’s mansion for a Democratic trifecta
  • Special Elections: Endorse in special state legislative elections when strategically appropriate

2026: Target States: AZ, GA, MI, MN, NC, NV, PA, WI

  • Blue Flips: MN (House), WI (Senate and Assembly), MI (House), AZ (House and Senate)
  • Blue Holds: PA (House), MN (Senate), MI (Senate), NV (Assembly and Senate)
  • Blue Inroads: PA (Senate), GA (House), NC (House and Senate)
  • Nested Opportunities: Prioritize states with nested competitive US Senate, US House, and Gubernatorial elections
  • Incumbent Protection: Invest in fragile incumbents. Incumbent protection has always been a key component of our electoral strategy

Our Programs

Our programs implement our strategy by filling critical gaps in the progressive infrastructure. Together, these programs empower volunteers, candidates, legislators, and the public with maximum opportunities for engagement and impact.

Win Elections

Grassroots Field and Fundraising

We harness the abundance of volunteer and donor energy that exists all across the country and direct it to our carefully selected races. We activate, train, and collaborate with our volunteer-led teams and affiliates to deliver outsized support to candidates in the forms they need it most: fundraising, phone calls, door knocks, postcards, and texts. In 2022, this includes raising early money earmarked for delivering early money support to candidates. 

Campaign Services

We offer personalized assistance and resources to candidates throughout the campaign cycle. This includes direct access to our campaign veteran staff for questions, a comprehensive campaign-in-a-box library with templates and best practices, as well as advice and strategic counseling on campaign plan and budget development, paid communications, and more.

Youth Organizing

Our Organizing Fellows support our volunteer-led teams by recruiting and retaining volunteers for candidate support events, all while gaining practical skills to help them build careers as organizers. Our Campus Fellows are trained in building and running phonebanks to boost support to candidates. Check out our student opportunities!

Data Analytics

We generate top caliber research and data-driven analysis, which enables us to target the highest-impact races with exceptional candidates.

Support Organizers

State Bridges

Our State Bridges program activates volunteers across the country to fundraise for organizations doing year-round power-building work in key states. Building on the successes of our  State Bridges program, we know that long-term community-based organizing, often led by people of color, is bedrock for our ability to build progressive power in state legislatures. 

Annual Summit

The annual Sister District Summit is an opportunity for volunteers from across the country to debrief on the previous year, learn from each other, and plan for the year ahead. Learn more!

Develop Legislatures

Legislator Services

Winning office is just the beginning. We know that legislators from purple districts face challenges and experiences in governing and campaigning that are distinct from their blue district colleagues. Our Purple District Network is the only state legislator network exclusively focused on providing support to state legislators located in purple districts.

Using a cohort model, the Network builds community among purple district legislators in order to share best practices, governance techniques, and strategies for being effective. Legislators in the network have access to campaign and governance resources, and connect with each other through a shared database, remote convenings with their cohorts, and an annual summit.

Future Winners

Sometimes, even the most exceptional candidates lose their races. While losses are often down payments on future successes, far too many future winners fall out of the talent pipeline at this step because there is no one to support them. Using a cohort model, we deliver training and coaching on advanced topics of fundraising and communications, and guidance on preparing for their next race, all within the context of a supportive community of candidates in a similar position to build connection and accountability. Learn more about our Future Winners program!

Educate and Empower

Research Program

Our award-winning research team conducts academic-quality experiments and analyses to develop and disseminate best practices in the areas of voter and volunteer engagement. This work ensures we are utilizing the highest impact tactics in our work. We also perform qualitative and narrative research to investigate how non-experimental factors like race and gender may impact electoral outcomes. Our results are always proudly free and open to the public. Read our research results now!

Fireside Chat Series

In our popular Book Club and Fireside Chat series, we read books and hold conversations with authors and experts to deepen our engagement with issues around voting rights, the importance of states, redistricting, social and racial justice, civic participation, and more. Check out the Book Club!

It Starts with States.

They are the engine that moves our democracy forward. They have the power to transform their states, and in doing so, lead the way for the entire country.