The first year of Trump’s second term has endangered our communities, our planet, and our democracy. As his power grabs become increasingly audacious, it’s more important than ever to win a check on his power. In the 2026 midterms, we have a huge opportunity to do just that by winning back the House of Representatives for Democrats and making sure it’s a stronger and bolder majority than ever before. 

In a single year, the Trump administration has already presented an existential threat to all we hold dear. He’s cancelled critical wind and solar projects and ramped up fossil fuels. He’s gutted the basic functions of our government, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the main federal regulator and defender of clean water. He’s slashed essential food assistance for millions of people. And during a cost-of-living crisis, his deregulatory agenda is clearing the way for corporations to wreak even more havoc on our economy and environment.

All of this has raised the stakes ever higher for retaking the House — and Food & Water Action will be building power behind some of the most important races in the country to make this happen. By mobilizing volunteers and driving thousands to vote for change through the ballot box, we have a track record of propelling champions to victory, making a difference in local and national politics. 

Now, we’re well-equipped to do so again. We’re leveraging long-standing relationships and our growing network to support key races. And while we’re going all in at the national level, we’re also building power and electing local champions in our communities.

Our Winning Strategy to Take Back the House

In just a little under ten years, Food & Water Action has become a powerful force in key federal districts across the country. This will be paramount to winning the three seats that Democrats need to take back the House. 

Last midterms, we reduced the predicted “red wave” to a puddle. Now, we’ve zeroed in again on the races where we can make the greatest impact — places where our issues are most pertinent, where the margins are razor-thin, and where we have relationships and resources to have an impact on the ground. 

In the 2024 election season, we knocked on more than 65,000 doors, made over half a million calls, and had more than 20,000 conversations with voters. Twenty eight of our endorsed candidates won their races, up and down the ballot, including Rep. Josh Riley in New York, Rep. Dave Min in California, and Rep. Chris Deluzio in Pennsylvania.

Ahead of 2026, we’re implementing this same winning strategy to elect local champions and take back the House for Democrats. Here are three key areas where our experienced, networked teams are already strong organizing forces in their regions:

1. Fighting Corporate Greed and Pollution in Iowa

Iowa’s First Congressional District is a top battleground for 2026. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks eked out a win in 2024, and this race is predicted to be a toss-up. Given Miller-Meeks’ dismal record and the issues impacting Iowans right now, we have a strong opportunity to unseat her. Our ally Christina Bohannan is poised to face Miller-Meeks yet again. This time, we’ll make sure to win.

Recently, Miller-Meeks’ vote paved the way for Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill, which will take away food assistance from 23,000 Iowans and health insurance from 113,000. This is outrageous at a time when Iowans are facing higher costs and a lack of healthcare access, in great part because of Big Ag’s takeover of the state. 

Iowa now has the second-highest cancer incidence in the country. Big Ag’s pollution has poisoned the community and the environment while hollowing out rural communities and economies, including local healthcare services. 

We have been a powerful advocate on these issues. This year, our partner organization Food & Water Watch stopped the Cancer Gag Act, a bill that would have granted pesticide giants legal immunity for the potential harms of their products. We’ve also spent years fighting Big Ag’s abuses in the state. This work will be the foundation of our success in this election season.

Our Get-Out-the-Vote efforts will be especially important after Republican state lawmakers passed a voter purge law in 2024, kicking more than 180,000 registered voters off the rolls. We’ll be on the ground to fight this blatant voter suppression with tried-and-true ways: going door to door, out in the streets, meeting voters where they’re at. 

In Iowa, we will:

• Knock on 60,000 doors,
• Call 20,000 voters,
• Register 5,000 voters, and
• Have 10,000 conversations with voters.

2. Pushing for Affordability and Climate Action in New York

With our partner organization Food & Water Watch, we’ve built a strong reputation as an environmental organization and organizing force in New York. Our work — now with 1,500 volunteers across the state — has banned fracking, stopped four pipelines and three fracked gas power plants, and passed legislation to make the state’s new buildings all-electric. 

During our time in New York, climate and environmental issues have only grown in prominence for voters. We also know these issues are inextricable from today’s affordability crisis — the same corporations polluting our planet are driving food, water, and energy costs higher. Our campaigns and wins have resonated with New Yorkers, tackling the problems they’re seeing on their bills as well as in their health and environment. 

In the 2026 midterms, we’re honing this expertise in New York’s 17th Congressional District, the Lower Hudson Valley, where we have a deep history of organizing. There, we’ve fought pipelines and closed the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. And we’re preparing to unseat Rep. Mike Lawler. 

This is one of the most flippable districts in the country — one of the handful of districts that Republicans captured in 2024 despite a Trump loss there. Lawler has made a terrible re-election case for himself.

He was among the deciding votes on the disastrous Big Ugly Bill that gutted essential services while giving handouts to fossil fuel companies and billionaires. He voted to kick 10,000 households in his district off of food assistance and to take healthcare away from thousands more. By highlighting these betrayals to constituents, we can defeat him.

In New York-17, we plan to:

• Knock on more than 85,000 doors,
• Call 20,000 voters,
• Register 500 new voters, and
• Have more than 13,000 conversations.

3. Growing Our Power in One of Pennsylvania’s Biggest Toss-Ups

Since he stepped foot into office last January, Food & Water Action has held Rep. Ryan Mackenzie accountable to his constituents. The representative for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District was a key target in our fight to stop Congress’s rollback of regulations that require lead pipe removals. 

Our partner organization Food & Water Watch hosted letter deliveries, met with the representative, and organized several rallies outside his office, including October’s No Kings rally, which drew more than 5,000 people.

This work successfully pressured Mackenzie to oppose the lead pipe rule rollback. But the rest of his track record has done enormous harm to his constituents. That includes voting to cut food assistance for at least 143,000 Pennsylvanians and to take healthcare away from 483,000 Pennsylvanians. The representative has also slashed 37,000 clean energy jobs in Pennsylvania. 

Our electoral work in PA-07 builds on a long history of organizing in the state and region. We’ve knocked on tens of thousands of doors to elect and re-elect Reps. Chris Deluzio and Summer Lee, as well as Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. 

Most recently, in Rep. Mackenzie’s own district, we knocked on 20,000 doors to help elect long-time ally Tara Zrinski to Northampton County Executive, a County that Trump won in 2024. This groundwork will help us continue building momentum and networks to unseat Mackenzie. By the 2026 midterms, we will have:

• Knocked on 54,000 doors,
• Called 30,000 voters,
• Registered 1,500 new voters, and
• Had more than 8,400 conversations.

Join Our Work to Build Power and Check Trump’s Overreach

The midterms have historically gone poorly for the sitting president’s party. They often serve as a referendum on the president in office. This is great news for us — Donald Trump’s Gallup approval rating has sunk to 36%. That’s lower than it was ahead of the 2018 midterms, in which Republicans lost 42 seats. 

A rebuke against Trump is unlikely to be so strong this time around. But we’re confident our strategy will have a big impact in winning back the House.

For many states, Democratic primaries will extend well into the spring and summer. During that time, we’ll be getting to know the candidates, pushing them to commitments on our issues, and endorsing progressive champions. We’ll also be keeping an eye on other races across the country, identifying opportunities where our resources and relationships will be most impactful.

You’re the key to winning in this critical midterm year. Your support will build the power we need to roll out our proven strategy to elect food, water, and climate champions, take back the House, and rein in Trump’s authoritarian threats to our country.

Nationwide, we’ll:

• Knock on more than 167,000 doors,
• Call more than 50,000 voters, and
• Have more than 28,000 conversations with voters!

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS MATCHED!

Help us protect what matters most~ — our food, water, and climate!~Your gift will be matched!

RENEW NOW