This election’s results are clear and convincing evidence that American democracy will prevail.
No matter how you feel about the outcomes of this cycle, they are evidence that the people have power and our votes matter.
I have spent months telling scared fellow Americans that we will be okay: Our democracy is not in decline. Most of my friends are terrified, particularly the liberals. Yes, these are unprecedented times, but these are the exact conditions our government was built for. The executive branch takes bold steps, then sometimes the legislature and the courts reject them. I proclaim this at cocktail parties while crossing my fingers and toes, hoping I am right. We have seen courts strike down illegal orders from President Trump and other presidents. The recent election outcome is evidence that we do not need to stock up on gold bars and decide where in the Caribbean to seek refuge.
The way the voters showed up for Joe Khan and Danny Ceisler is absolutely awe-inspiring. Both are historic races in Bucks County, and both are smart, thoughtful attorneys with clear values and a longstanding commitment to public service. Joe’s campaign for District Attorney featured a call for accountability for his predecessor’s decision to decline prosecution after it was discovered that the Sunoco Twin Oaks pipeline had been leaking jet fuel into people’s drinking wells, possibly for years — the largest pipeline leak in the nation. Sheriff-Elect Ceisler’s trailblazing campaign will result in reallocation of tax dollars where they belong: Keeping Bucks County safe by doing the job the office is supposed to do rather than advancing a federal agenda.
Yet if I’m being honest, even I underestimated the voters in these races. This outcome and voter turnout is just so unusual, it is a reminder that the polls are not controlled by elites and the voters are paying attention. It serves as a tremendous beacon of hope in a year when political headlines have made people very nervous.
Similarly, the Pennsylvania Senate has featured some notable upsets this year: Senator Joe Picozzi flipped a PA Senate seat red for the first time in nearly 30 years — essentially his entire lifetime. In a March special election, Senator James Malone blind-sighted the state by flipping his Lancaster seat blue.
Looking forward, 2026 will be an enormously important election year. The midterm elections determine which party controls the state and federal legislatures, and thus determine law for the entire country.
READ: Democracy Begins Where We Live
Your vote matters beyond who holds which office. It directly impacts how much money flows to your district, via tax dollars and future campaign funding. Your vote also determines future law: Not only by choosing who represents your interests, but also which pieces of legislation get introduced, prioritized by the party during the legislative process, even which bills ever make it to a floor vote. Local public officials decide who to charge with what crime, or whether a gas plant or data center can go into your backyard and potentially devastate your land and quality of life.
This year in politics has reminded us of the importance of checks and balances. And reminds us that our votes make a difference. A few years ago, a write-in candidate won an election with a single vote: His own. Despite a billionaire’s attempts to unseat Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices this year, the people also prevailed in those races. There are countless civil rights lawyers and advocates for justice like me who fight these fights in our day jobs, but we the people must stay vigilant.
Rest up: 2026 approaches.
