BREAKING: 99 Days Out, Democrats Are Showing What Winning Looks Like

Good morning and welcome back to this morning’s edition of the Wolf’s Den. With 99 days remaining before the November midterms, campaign season is officially in full swing—and Democrats are showing the country exactly what a winning coalition can look like.

On Sunday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries traveled to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to campaign alongside Governor Josh Shapiro and congressional candidate Bob Brooks.

Before we get into it, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Your support allows me to continue reporting on the news you won’t hear in a corporate newsroom.

Brooks is running to defeat Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie in Pennsylvania’s highly competitive 7th Congressional District. Flipping this seat would move Democrats closer to retaking the House and making Jeffries the first Black speaker in American history.

But Brooks represents something bigger than a single congressional race.

A firefighter, union leader and working-class candidate, Brooks has spent his career serving his community and protecting people’s lives. His campaign has united Democrats from across the party’s ideological spectrum.

Brooks has earned endorsements from Shapiro, Jeffries, Pete Buttigieg and Senator Bernie Sanders. That is a remarkable coalition—and it demonstrates what Democrats can accomplish when they unite behind candidates who understand working people and know how to deliver results.

At the rally, Jeffries also laid out the central argument Democrats must carry into November: This election is about lowering costs and making life more affordable.

Republicans will inevitably try to distract voters with outrage, division and political theater. Democrats must remain focused on the economic pressures confronting American families.

Donald Trump promised to lower costs. Instead, his reckless tariffs have placed another burden on consumers, his war in Iran has helped send energy prices soaring, and his administration has consistently prioritized the interests of the wealthy and well-connected over ordinary Americans.

Democrats are offering a different path.

Share

That means ending Trump’s disastrous war, eliminating tariffs that function as taxes on American families, building more housing and bringing down rent. It means making healthcare, groceries and energy more affordable. Most importantly, it means building an economy that rewards work instead of one that allows political insiders and billionaires to enrich themselves.

Republicans understand how deeply unpopular their record has become. Their own strategists are now reportedly encouraging vulnerable candidates to distance themselves from Trump rather than campaign on what their party has accomplished.

That should tell us everything.

Republicans cannot run on lowering costs because they have failed to lower them. They cannot run on peace because they supported another costly war. They cannot run on improving Americans’ lives because their policies have made those lives more difficult.

Democrats, meanwhile, have the candidates, the message and the momentum.

Bob Brooks embodies the kind of working-class leadership the party should champion across the country. He has saved lives, led workers and served his community. Now, he is running to bring that same commitment to Congress.

Ninety-nine days from now, voters will have an opportunity to reject Republican chaos and elect a Democratic House focused on making their lives better.

Pennsylvania’s 7th District could help decide the majority—and Bob Brooks is showing Democrats exactly how to win it.

-Ethan