To help party brand, Democrats prepare "Organizing Summer"

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: June 30, 2025 / 2:23 PM EDT


An alliance of leading national Democratic groups is preparing a new effort this summer focused on driving voter engagement as the party tries to regain support following its defeats in 2024. The plans, first obtained by CBS News, fall under the label of what these groups have dubbed "Organizing Summer."

While this year has relatively few major statewide elections, such as gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, the 2026 midterms will be a crucial test for a party that is trying to respond to the lessons learned from Republicans' wins in last year's campaigns, including the presidential race. The groups behind the summer organizing effort include the Democratic National Committee, the Democrats' coalition of state parties as well as the campaign arms for House, Senate and gubernatorial contests.

The DNC alone intends to initially invest a six-figure dollar amount in the wide-ranging effort, with plans to scale to seven figures as the summer goes on. "For too long, the DNC has been a D.C. institution, and we're trying to get the DNC out of DC and into the states through this program," a Democratic strategist familiar with the plans said.

The summer program is focused on voter engagement and registration, particularly with voters who wouldn't otherwise hear Democrats' messaging. The DNC has signed up 16,000 volunteers, twice as many as it typically has in an off-election year, according to a Democratic strategist familiar with the plans. As part of the summer effort, Democrats will urge volunteers to connect with voters in less politically dominated parts of life, with the outline of the plan pointing to community groups, book clubs and social media platforms as examples.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/organizing-summer-democrats/