Seen, Heard, Not Ignored

When the base gets louder, the party has to stop changing the channel

When I stood on the West Front of the Capitol on January 6th, I wasn’t thinking about "factions" within a party, internal polling or donors. I was thinking about my duty to the people inside that building, to the nation and to the Constitution that keeps us all free"ish". Since then, I’ve traded my badge for an ACTBLUE account, and I’ve spent a lot of time traveling across the country talking to folks who feel like the political system has left them behind. What I’m seeing lately in our Democratic primaries this season, tells me one thing loud and clear… the heartbeat of this party is changing, and we need to pay attention.

The recent primary win for Democratic Socialists like Melat Kiros’s historic victory in Colorado are more than just headlines. They are proof that the status quo isn’t just being questioned; it’s being rejected by people who are tired of waiting for "someday" to come. These wins show a growing hunger for bold action and ideas. When an incumbent who has been in office for a decade or two or hell even three, loses to a newcomer with a democratic socialist platform, it’s a signal that the old way of doing business isn't cutting it for the person working two jobs just to keep the lights on.

Then comes this, one of the loudest messages I’ve heard on the campaign trail is a resounding, burning disdain for the way special interest groups have been buying our elections. Voters are tired of seeing their voices drowned out by "dark money" and corporate PACs. We have to be honest with ourselves, many in our own party have and continue to benefit from this system, but that doesn't mean we should justify it when it takes power from the people and gives it to corporations and “dark money” donors who could care less about us. To truly be the party of the people, we must stand together to reject the influence of big money and commit to passing laws that limit it. A vote shouldn't be something you can put a price tag on.

But I’ve also been around long enough to know that a few wins doesn't mean the debate is over. We’ve seen other races where progressive or democratic socialist challengers didn’t cross the finish line, falling to candidates who lean more toward the center or moderates. We shouldn’t look at these losses as failures of a movement, but rather as a reminder that our party is as diverse as the country itself. We shouldn’t get so consumed with crowning one side the "wave of the future" that we stop listening to the voters who aren't there yet. The real win isn't just a specific candidate taking a seat, it’s the Democratic Party is actually forced to listen to a wider range of its own people and what keeps them up at night.

Even a small portion of this party is still part of this party. Think of it like a friendship or a marriage; if one person stops feeling seen or heard, they don’t just sit there forever. They start looking for love in other places. We get defections when people feel like their voices are being silenced or their struggles are being treated as footnotes. We love to call ourselves the "Big Tent Party," but you can’t have a "members only" section inside that tent. If we want to keep everyone under one roof, we have to make sure everyone feels like they have a seat at the table.

Our strength is in our unity, and we need that strength now more than ever. We are facing a Trump administration that has shown a total disregard for the guardrails of our democracy. My goal and I hope it is all of ours, is to get the majority back in Congress. We need that majority to hold this administration accountable to the law and to ensure that what I saw happen at the Capitol on January 6th and every day after, never happens again. We can’t do that if we’re busy tearing each other down over who is the most Democratic. We need every vote, from the moderate in the suburbs to the democratic socialist in the city.

At the end of the day, people are looking for a break. They’re looking at their grocery receipts, their rent increases, and their healthcare premiums, and they’re asking who is going to make their lives easier. Whether we agree on every policy or not, we all want to lower costs for everyday Americans. We want a country where you don't have to go into debt just to stay healthy or get an education. That’s the common ground that wins elections.

I spent over fifteen years protecting the Capitol, and I’ve seen what happens when we lose our way. We win when we stand together. Let’s celebrate the new energy in our party, learn from the losses, and keep our eyes on the mission: protecting our democracy and delivering for the people who sent us there. It’s time to hold the line, together.