Reading the tea leaves of elections is part of my job as Bend the Arc’s PAC Director. Today, I’m watching voters in Virginia and New Jersey as they head to the polls to vote for governor.

The results will have big implications for all of us:

• These pre-midterm elections are a bellwether for what’s to come, in 2022 and beyond
• Both races are too close for comfort, particularly the race in Virginia, a state that Biden won by 10 points last year
• The margins of the results will tell us how energized the GOP is — and how likely they are to turn out for the 2022 midterms
• If elections go in the far-right's favor, our tenuous progress on the legislative agenda we fought for in 2020 will come to a stop; Republicans will smell blood in the water and turn their full attention to the midterms.

Here’s why today really matters: all our gains are at risk next November. If we don’t hold the Senate and protect our House majority by winning at least two-thirds of all swing seats, we can’t protect the people and progress we care so much about.

It’s not just our progressive agenda that’s at risk. Basic democratic principles are at stake. If Democrats lose the House and Senate in 2022, the GOP will continue their assault on voting rights, access to abortion and basic healthcare, and immigrant rights. Even more Americans — disproportionately people of color — will be shut out at the polls. Vaccines will remain controversial, and people will continue to die from COVID-19. This isn’t hyperbole: it’s already happening.

Remember — if we don’t hold our majorities in both houses, the guardrails come off.

Right now, we have a choice. We can either look away, or continue fighting for the future of our democracy — just like we did in 2020.

In solidarity,

Derek Pugh, Director
Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC

PS: Our PAC does more than fundraise for candidates — we also build relationships with candidates and work to keep you posted on what’s happening in U.S. politics. Learn more about the work our PAC is doing to protect our Democratic majorities in 2022 and beyond.