State legislatures serve as a critical firewall, mitigating the worst of his policies, protecting fundamental rights, and passing bold, forward-looking legislation that directly impacts people’s lives.

The day after Donald Trump was elected, blue states across the country began exploring ways to “Trump-proof” their governments, ensuring protections against the most harmful aspects of the MAGA agenda. Progressive state legislatures have blocked attacks on reproductive rights, enacted strong environmental protections despite federal rollbacks, and established state programs to support federal workers who have been laid off as a result of Elon Musk’s federal workforce purge.

The more progressive power we build at the state level, the harder it becomes for MAGA Republicans to impose their policies.

State leaders become national leaders. The officials we elect to state office often become the candidates who will eventually run for national office. President Obama, along with 21 other previous presidents, started his political career as a state legislator. States Win’s twice-endorsed alumna, Emily Randall, flipped her state senate seat from red to blue in Washington state by 102 votes, and is now the first lesbian Latina representing the state in Congress.

Many federal laws began as state legislation. State governments serve as testing grounds for policy ideas, where successful legislation can gain momentum and eventually be adopted at the federal level. Marriage equality gained traction in states before becoming national policy.

State laws provide the basis to challenge harmful federal policies. Laws enacted at the state level create precedent that can be used to challenge destructive federal policies. Many of the legal challenges being put forth against the Trump administration have been levied by state attorneys general, in collaboration with their state’s legislatures.

State legislatures also shape Congress itself. States control congressional redistricting, determining the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives. To check Trump and GOP extremism in Washington D.C., we must invest in state races now. While some states use bipartisan commissions, most redistricting remains in the hands of the ruling party. With the next redistricting in 2030, every state race over the next five years is a chance to improve the process and prevent GOP gerrymandering at both the state and federal levels.

The short answer is — we are! The truth is that MAGA’s influence is not just in Washington — it is deeply rooted at the state level. Republican-controlled legislatures are actively searching for  ways to adopt Elon Musk’s DOGE agenda, looking to RFK Jr. for health policies, and attempting  to use state resources to enforce Trump’s immigration agenda. In Florida and Texas, for example, GOP-controlled legislatures have adopted Trump’s anti-DEI rhetoric as a way to undercut education for millions of public students. If we don’t invest in state legislatures, we allow MAGA Republicans to expand their influence unchecked.

• Abortion and reproductive rights – After the Dobbs decision, states stepped up to protect and expand abortion access where the federal government would not. In 2024, for example, Arizonans approved a ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, overturning a strict 1860’s-era abortion ban. 
• Voting rights – While Republican-controlled states pass voter suppression laws, progressive states are expanding ballot access and protecting democracy. After securing a blue trifecta in 2019, Virginia Democrats swiftly passed legislation to expand voting rights by establishing  no-excuse absentee voting, removing ID requirements, and increasing access to early voting across the state. 
• Workers’ rights – While the federal minimum wage has not changed since 2009, nearly half the states in the country increased their minimum wage in 2025. 
• Education – Right-wing legislatures are banning books and rewriting curriculums, while progressive states are expanding funding and implementing universal free school meal programs.

Climate policy – While Donald Trump chants “drill, baby, drill,” states are enacting local climate action plans. In the aftermath of the 2022 midterm elections,  states like Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Minnesota secured Democratic ​trifectas, leading to significant strides in climate legislation in those states.

• Virginia | LGBTQ+ Healthcare – SW Alum, Danica Roem sponsored bill HB1429 which bans health insurance discrimination against transgender individuals, ensuring fair coverage and costs.
• Michigan | Labor Rights – SW Alums, Christine Morse, Rachel Hood, Laurie Pohutsky, Betsy Coffia sponsored  House Bill 4004 of 2023 which repealed Michigan’s Right-to-Work law, strengthening union and labor rights in the state. 
• Colorado |  Abortion Care – SW Alum Senator Faith Winter sponsored and helped pass  Senate Bill 188 (2023) which is a protection for people who get out of state abortion care in Colorado from prosecution in their home state after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.
• Nevada | Minimum Wage Increases – In 2019, NV Dems passed Assembly Bill 456 to increase the state’s minimum wage for government employees to $12/hour by 2024; In 2023, NV Dems passed Assembly Bill 259, which established fair wages for workers with disabilities.

Washington State | Paid Family Leave – In 2025, WA State Democrats passed House Bill 1213, expanding paid family medical leave protections to workers in the state. The bill is now headed to the State Senate.

Absolutely. State races are often decided by just a handful of votes, meaning that every conversation, phone call, and dollar can tip the scales. In 2022, States Win candidate Melissa Cerrato won her race by just 63 votes and flipped the entire Pennsylvania House of Representatives blue! In 2024, Democrats broke the North Carolina State House Supermajority because States Win candidate Dante Pittman won his race by 871 votes. With margins that small, your time, energy, and resources could be the deciding factor in flipping a state blue. By winning at the state level, we create real opportunities to pass progressive policies, block conservative attacks, and reshape the balance of power for the long term.

The chaos Donald Trump is sowing at the  federal level is not accidental—it is a strategy designed to exhaust movements, keep us doomscrolling, and create a sense of hopelessness. There’s no denying this is a tough moment in our nation’s history, but the truth is, we have the power to fight back.  In 2025, Democrats have overperformed in nearly every special state legislative election. States Win has a plan to target dozens of competitive races across 9 swing states over the next two years. If we succeed, we’ll bring a Democratic majority state legislature to 42.5 million Americans — making it possible to pass policies that raise wages, protect the environment, and put working people first.

Volunteer teams help state-level candidates with fundraising and direct voter contact actions, while also  supporting community-based year-round organizers in our target states through the State Bridges program.

States Win staff provide support to volunteers on the ground, candidates, and campaign staff; assist newly-elected legislators and former candidates through the Purple District Network and Future Winners programs; and conduct vital electoral research. 

We endorse candidates in races critical to protect a blue chamber, make inroads into a red chamber, or flip a chamber from red to blue. Our candidates’ wins have been key to flipping 10 chambers from red to blue, incl. WA Senate ‘17, CO Senate ‘18, ME Senate ‘18, NH House ‘18, VA House ‘19, VA Senate ‘19, MI House ‘22, MI Senate ‘22, PA House ‘22, and the VA House in ‘23. Our work doesn’t end once a chamber flips. In 2024 we lost the MI House but States Win is in this for the long haul and is already making the investments needed to flip the chamber back.

Volunteer teams help state-level candidates with fundraising and direct voter contact actions, while also supporting community-based year-round organizers in our target states through the State Bridges program.
States Win staff provide support to volunteers on the ground, candidates, and campaign staff; assist newly-elected legislators and former candidates through the Purple District Network and Future Winners programs; and conduct vital electoral research.
We endorse candidates in races critical to protect a blue chamber, make inroads into a red chamber, or flip a chamber from red to blue. Our candidates’ wins have been key to flipping 10 chambers from red to blue, incl. WA Senate ‘17, CO Senate ‘18, ME Senate ‘18, NH House ‘18, VA House ‘19, VA Senate ‘19, MI House ‘22, MI Senate ‘22, PA House ‘22, and the VA House in ‘23. Our work doesn’t end once a chamber flips. In 2024 we lost the MI House but States Win is in this for the long haul and is already making the investments needed to flip the chamber back.