Elections are not an end product, but a call to action. One week after the Presidential Election that will bring Donald Trump back to power, it is easy to fall into the trap of looking at the results and seeing them as something final. In fact, what matters is what will take place now: both regarding the policies to be adopted, and how we will respond to them.
Looking at the election results, it is important first to keep some perspective. Trump won the election with an overwhelming majority in the Electoral College. Results and analyses will continue to trickle in over the coming weeks, but it seems fairly clear that class dealignment has led to the Democratic Party losing its working-class base.
What is also true, however, is that Trump, once all ballots are counted, likely won the popular vote by around 1.5 points, and probably did not get an outright majority. This was a clear, dramatic election loss for Democrats, but it was not a landslide in any way, shape, or form. The country remains closely divided—and it is our job to look for a path ahead.
The same election also offered a roadmap of what is ahead, and how we can respond to this loss. Although Democrats lost support in much of the country, here in Connecticut a group of Working Families Party candidates not only won elections but often did so by flipping long-held Republican seats. In Southeastern Connecticut, Nick Menapace, a public school teacher, ousted a high-ranking Republican, Holly Cheesman, one of the most fiscally conservative voices in the caucus. Nick Gauthier, a labor activist, won an open seat. Further west, MJ Shannon won another Republican seat in West Haven, and Kaytlin Shake, a registered nurse, flipped a seat in Fairfield County, as did fellow nurse Rebecca Martinez in Plainville and Kenneth Gucker in Danbury.
These victories are especially remarkable because Donald Trump gained considerable ground in Connecticut compared to his vote share in 2020. Yet despite these headwinds, Democratic majorities in the House grew with the addition of working class candidates ready to govern for the people, not on behalf of corporations or millionaires. In the case of Rebecca Martinez, most remarkably, she won in a district where Trump actually won, yet she still ousted an incumbent Republican.
For too long, Democrats have either taken working-class voters for granted, especially voters of color. When they reach out, they often end up being condescending, as if they should be thankful for them being there. Rebecca and the rest of WFP candidates, in contrast, knocked doors relentlessly, spoke to working people, went out of their way to meet them where they were and hear their concerns. They campaigned on a straightforward, clear, and unapologetic message to put working-class voters at the top of the agenda. They can build trust with voters because the candidates themselves are teachers, nurses, people deeply rooted in the community. They are regular people, they speak their language. They understand the problems at hand because they are living them as well.
Voters, especially the working-class voters Democrats are struggling to win, will support candidates that care and respect them, that sound like they will fight for them.
But again, elections are not our goal; they are a call to action. Connecticut lawmakers must now get ready to move forward in the face of a hostile Trump White House. They must be ready to stand up for civil liberties, to protect our freedoms and values. This includes not just defending reproductive rights, but also protecting immigrant families, labor rights, and even the freedom of the press itself.
They also must be well aware that they cannot just spend four years on civil rights defense—now it is time to act. They need to truly listen to the needs of the multiracial working class and be ready to work hard to deliver real solutions, not just platitudes. They need to truly address what has been hurting families in our state, from unaffordable housing, expensive childcare, and slow economic growth to persistent economic and racial segregation. Connecticut needs to show that Democrats in the State House will listen, will fight, and will deliver for working families. No more excuses, no more “land of steady habits” nonsense, and no more hiding behind every single small roadblock to stall change.
Good government matters. If Democrats want to win back the working class, they must be ready to deliver good jobs, a strong economy, growing, vibrant cities, affordable housing, and childcare. Now is not the time to hide. It is the time to act.