Voters Issue a Renewed Call for Governance, People-Centered Policies

Dēmos President Taifa Smith Butler released the following statement in response to the midterm elections:

The people spoke loud and clear, casting millions of votes to repudiate this administration’s extreme and harmful agenda.

“Despite the long list of obstacles put in place to silence their voices, voters showed up in force. The people spoke loud and clear, casting millions of votes to repudiate this administration’s extreme and harmful agenda. People rejected corruption, greed, war, and failed economic policies. These results are a mandate for change from the people, and it is time to govern. 

“We now have a chance to practice multiracial democracy, a chance carried by the wave of newly elected leaders who have made history: The U.S. now has its first Black woman governor, first Native American woman governor, and first Muslim senator, among many more firsts across the nation. This election broke new ground, and we owe a debt of gratitude to the advocates, activists, and organizers on the ground who got us to this moment.

“While these results feel promising and represent a major step forward, there is serious work ahead of us. These newly elected leaders must deliver for everyday Americans. Our democratic systems are broken and must be reformed and rebuilt.

The people’s demands are clear: We need a multiracial democracy that works for all. We need representatives that are for the people and not beholden to corporate elites or their corporate donors. 

“The people’s demands are clear: We need a multiracial democracy that works for all. We need representatives that are for the people and not beholden to corporate elites or their corporate donors. We need a democracy, where the dēmos, the people, especially Black and brown people, can build power to have a say in the decisions that impact their lives.

“Dēmos remains resolute in the fight for a future where prosperity is not selective but shared, where power shifts from the billionaire class to workers, and where Black and brown people can thrive.”

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Dēmos is a non-profit public policy organization working to build a just, inclusive, multiracial democracy and economy. We work hand in hand to build power with and for Black and brown communities, forging strategic alliances with grassroots and state-based organizations.