Our Vision for 2026
In 2026, we're being ambitious. It's time to go big.
People across the board are deeply dissatisfied with the Trump administration. His disapproval ratings are high, cost of living hasn't gone down, and people are furious with his administration's brutal immigration enforcement. At the same time, many people who have traditionally voted Democratic are deeply disappointed by the party's unwillingness to stand up to the administration's authoritarian power grab.
We have a real opportunity this year. And we need to make it count.
Our Plan
Seed the Vote sends volunteers to knock doors in the races that matter most. We train you, connect you with local organizers who know their communities, and help cover travel and hotel costs for people who need it. This year we're aiming to put 5,000 volunteers on the ground across 5-6 states.
We pick our races carefully. We go where the margins are close enough that our volunteers can actually move the outcome, where there are strong local partners already doing the work who want our help, and where we can be difference-makers rather than duplicating efforts already underway.
We pick our races carefully. We go where the margins are close enough that our volunteers can actually move the outcome, where there are strong local partners already doing the work who want our help, and where we can be difference-makers rather than duplicating efforts already underway.
The General Election
In November, our goal is to win back control of the House and Senate. Whoever wins the Democratic primary in our target races gets our volunteers at their doors. Where possible, we're investing in states where we can work on multiple races at the same time — targeting a flippable House seat while also contributing to a competitive Senate race in the same state.
We are thrilled to annonuce that this year, Seed the Vote is working in the following locations:
Sept 4 – Nov 3: Pennsylvania (PA-1) & California (CA-22); Deep Canvassing in PA, Sept 4–21
Sept 18 – Nov 3: Michigan (MI-7), Arizona (AZ-1) & Texas (TX-23); Deep Canvassing in MI, Sept 18–21
We are thrilled to annonuce that this year, Seed the Vote is working in the following locations:
Sept 4 – Nov 3: Pennsylvania (PA-1) & California (CA-22); Deep Canvassing in PA, Sept 4–21
Sept 18 – Nov 3: Michigan (MI-7), Arizona (AZ-1) & Texas (TX-23); Deep Canvassing in MI, Sept 18–21
Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Senate
Abdul was born and raised in Southeast Michigan, graduated from the University of Michigan with the highest distinction,earned his medical degree from Columbia University. As a public health leader, he rebuilt Detroit’s Health Department after bankruptcy, and restructured Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services, serving 1.8 million Michiganders.
Will Lawrence, Michigan-07
Will Lawrence is a Lansing native and East Lansing High School graduate who co-founded the Sunrise Movement, the youth-led climate org that put the Green New Deal on the map. Before running for Congress, he worked in housing advocacy and organized on clean energy, labor, and environmental issues. Endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Rashida Tlaib, he beat better-funded, better-known rivals in the Democratic primary.
James Talarico, Texas Senate
James Talarico is an eighth-generation Texan, former middle school teacher, and Presbyterian seminarian who taught sixth grade in a low-income San Antonio neighborhood before entering politics. He flipped a Texas House seat Trump had carried and has since passed legislation funding public schools and lowering the cost of child care, housing, and prescription drugs, while refusing corporate PAC money throughout his tenure.
Katy Padilla Stout, Texas-23
Katy Padilla Stout is a 40-year-old San Antonio native, attorney, and former public-school teacher who has represented children in foster care and serves on the Bexar County Child Welfare Board. She won a four-way Democratic primary in March with roughly 52%, part of a surge in turnout that saw Democratic primary votes more than double from 2024. Her campaign centers on cost of living, health care, education and child welfare.
Bob Harvie, Pennsylvania-01
Bob Harvie is a lifelong Bucks County native who spent over two decades teaching social studies at Bucks County Technical High School before entering politics, first as a Falls Township Supervisor in 2003 and then, in 2019, as a Bucks County Commissioner, where he helped Democrats win their first board majority in decades and now serves as Chair overseeing a roughly $1 billion county government.
Amish Shah, Arizona-01
Amish Shah is an emergency-room physician who became a state representative in 2018 by unseating a Republican incumbent. In July, he won the Democratic primary over DCCC-backed establishment candidate Marlene Galan-Woods, his second win over a party-favored rival, powered by a grassroots, door-knocking campaign. He backs Medicare for All, wants to lower prescription drug costs and protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Randy Villegas, Bakersfield CA: June 2
Randy grew up in Bakersfield, the son of immigrants. He's running against David Valadao, a Republican who has voted repeatedly to cut Medicaid in a district where 68% of residents depend on it. We've been organizing there since last fall alongside the Dolores Huerta Action Fund and Working Families Party.
The Primaries
Seed the Vote’s goal isn’t to elect Democrats, it’s to win the power we need to enact progressive change. This primary season, we were active in key races to build the progressive wing of the Democratic party to fight for policies our communities need.
The races we chose in the primaries focused on progressive champions who have deep roots in the community they represent, refused corporate PAC money, stood for the working-class, and had a pathway to victory. That means we were selective. Most election cycles, we work in a handful of races where canvassing can move the margin — and this primary season was no different.
We partnered with the Working Families Party to support four successful candidates in multiple races this cycle, including:
The races we chose in the primaries focused on progressive champions who have deep roots in the community they represent, refused corporate PAC money, stood for the working-class, and had a pathway to victory. That means we were selective. Most election cycles, we work in a handful of races where canvassing can move the margin — and this primary season was no different.
We partnered with the Working Families Party to support four successful candidates in multiple races this cycle, including:
Randy Villegas, Bakersfield CA: June 2
Randy grew up in Bakersfield, the son of immigrants. He's running against David Valadao, a Republican who has voted repeatedly to cut Medicaid in a district where 68% of residents depend on it. We've been organizing there since last fall alongside the Dolores Huerta Action Fund and Working Families Party.
Bob Brooks, Allentown PA: May 19
Bob Brooks is a WFP endorsed union firefighter running on addressing the affordability crisis in the Lehigh Valley. Seed the Vote partnered with Pennsylvania Working Families Party to help elect this strong labor candidate (backed by both Gov. Josh Shapiro and Bernie Sanders) in our first victory of the cycle.
Donavan McKinney, Detroit MI: August 4
Donavan McKinney is a lifelong Detroiter, union organizer, and serves the people as State Representative. His experience living the problems many in his community face has led Donavan to fight for solutions as big as those crises. He will push for bold, progressive policy in DC. Donovan is running in a Detroit-area district where we see an opening to send a strong progressive to Congress.
Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Senate
Abdul was born and raised in Southeast Michigan, graduated from the University of Michigan with the highest distinction,earned his medical degree from Columbia University. As a public health leader, he rebuilt Detroit’s Health Department after bankruptcy, and restructured Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services, serving 1.8 million Michiganders.
Election Defense
We're also preparing for trouble. The Republicans will attempt to undermine the election, intimidate voters, challenge results, and sow confusion. This year, Seed the Vote is treating election defense as part of our core midterm strategy. Our job is to win by the largest possible margin, in as many locations as possible, fight their election subversion every step of the way leading up to and on election day, and be fully prepared after the election to enforce the results. Our face-to-face conversations with voters is the first line of defense against election subversion. You can learn more here: We Can’t Let Them Steal It: STV’s Approach to Election Defense.