Early this morning, Donald Trump won the needed 270 electoral votes to become the next president of the United States. The Senate also flipped Republican, while the state of the House remains inconclusive.

Last night, as the votes came in, we shared the same fear, anxiety, and sadness as you. This is a difficult moment for our country and our movement, as we confront four more years of deregulation, regression, and threats to our democracy. We’re taking today to rest and rejuvenate. Tomorrow, we’ll be ready to fight back. 

We Are Prepared for a Second Trump Presidency

Through Trump’s last term, Food & Water Action fought tirelessly against his regressive climate and environmental policies. Now, in the run-up to this election, we’ve been deep in the weeds of Trump’s, his party, and his allies’ agenda. 

They’ve made it clear they intend an all-out assault on civil rights, environmental protections, and people who disagree with him. We can expect more chaos, corporate cronyism, and an assault on our freedoms. And we can expect major battles over our democratic institutions.

All this to say, we know what to expect, and we know how to fight back. From the streets, to the courts, to the halls of Congress, we will be opposing Trump at every level and in every way possible. At the same time, we’re continuing the vital work to protect our food, water, and climate at the state and local levels.

We saw this during his last term — despite the barriers, when we come together, we can win incredible victories. 

Celebrating Local and State Victories

It’s not all bad news. Last night, we saw victories for progressive champions across the country. 

In New York, we flipped two House seats blue. District 19 candidate Josh Riley has won on a platform defending rural communities from Big Ag and investing in green jobs. In District 4, Laura Gillen will now be fighting for clean water for all in the House.

Pennsylvania’s Rep. Summer Lee is returning to Congress, as is Rep. Chris Deluzio. Both have been strident voices for progressive policies in the House, standing up to corporate interests and fighting for families and workers. In Pennsylvania alone, Food & Water Action knocked on tens of thousands of doors to help get out the vote.

Our endorsees Pat Ryan in New York District 18, Laura Friedman in California’s District 30, Kathy Castor in Florida’s District 14, and more have won their races, helping defend the House from right-wing extremists. Nationwide, Food & Water Action knocked on more than 65,000 doors and called more than 507,000 voters to boost turnout.

With the House undecided, Food & Water Action is also keeping an eye on key races across the country. Officials must count every vote to ensure everyone’s voice is heard.

Together, We Will Defend Our Future

As we steel ourselves for a second Trump term and grieve many of the results of this election, we know the fight is far from over. Moreover, we know that some of the biggest change doesn’t happen at the highest levels — it happens locally. 

In the two decades of Food & Water Action — and the several more that many of us have been fighting this fight — we have seen that local change can have powerful ripple effects. And when we connect with our community on issues that impact us all, we can win.

Food & Water Action already has a plan, and we’re mobilizing. We’ll pressure key targets in Congress to block extremist policies and ensure that Democrats don’t give one inch to right-wing demands. We’ll continue to fight for bold policies at the state and local level to move our country off fossil fuels, build renewable energy, and ensure safe, affordable food and water for all. 

We are in for the fight of our lives. But together, we can stop the worst of Trump and MAGA extremism, and we can continue winning transformational change at the local and state levels. We need nothing less to protect our food and water and ensure a livable climate for everyone.