Who we are
WelcomePAC allies come from across the political spectrum and from a variety of geographies and partisan backgrounds. We share a commitment to protecting our democracy and building a big-tent Democratic Party that wins. Our core team is based in Virginia, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Colorado and has worked on a range of Democratic and nonpartisan initiatives across the country.
Our Approach
We put democracy on offense by expanding the Democratic tent to put more districts in play.
Identify Targets
Our research and recruitment team analyzes districts and incumbents to find the most vulnerable Republicans who have faced little competition.
Listen to Voters
Respect and empathy for voters, and their diversity of political knowledge and opinions. We come to America as it is, imperfect but ready for change.
Engage New Allies
Welcome and learn from the leaders who can win crossover voters, contributing to a community defending democracy that will support candidates and each other.
Communicate Reality
Demonstrate through actions and words the reality that a majority of Democrats reject purity tests and welcome a majority that wins.
The Opportunity
Millions of potential swing voters and dozens of congressional districts could be put into play. Trump’s own pollster showed 35% of Republican voters are ready to move on - not enough to win a primary, but enough to oust the most undemocratic GOP members of Congress. Such outreach has been underinvested in as the extreme right and socialist left have conspired with conflict-driven media to overhype division and trash the Democratic brand. Yet voter demand for red-state Democrats is there beneath the surface, proven by a handful of brand-differentiated Democrats winning Trump districts. Voters deserve a new generation of authentic candidates.
The Strategy
No poll-tested message will save Democrats — and our democracy — from the authoritarian threat of the Trump GOP. We must organize a faction of Democrats who reject Twitter-driven absolutism, approaching the hard work of democracy with the empathy required to win over the independents and ex-Republicans who can make a majority. Most Democrats disagree with the Democratic Party on at least one major issue. We are recruiting and supporting candidates (including ex-Republicans) who can expand the map and make a majority. We won’t all agree all the time, but we will win.
Our values guide our thinking and shape our work.
EMPATHY
We understand, respect, and value the diversity in thought, identity, and experiences of the American people. We respect that diversity in both our research and our engagement with voters and candidates.
PRAGMATISM
At this critical moment for our democracy, we need change-makers who can execute and maneuver in a rapidly evolving landscape. In our politics and in our organization, we seek the practical over the perfect.
FOCUS
There are too many distractions in our society and in our politics, and they have a tendency to stifle our ability to make a lasting impact. We are focused on what matters most: winning, solving problems, and strengthening our democracy. This effort takes collaboration, and if we want to go far, we have to go together — with focus.
BIG-TENT
Far too many Americans view politics as an exclusive, detached, and buttoned-up pastime of Washington elites and establishment bureaucrats. We are pushing back against this kind of politics by building a friendly party where invitation and access are gladly granted. There are no strangers here. One could say we are… welcoming.
