Campaign season is usually measured in polls, endorsements and fundraising totals. Every candidate is asking for money, every campaign is hunting for resources, and every strategist is focused on the next battleground.
That is especially true this year. Democrats are favored to retake the House, the Senate map is becoming increasingly competitive, and voters are turning against the chaos and broken promises of Donald Trump. But amid all the noise, two Democrats are demonstrating what genuine party leadership looks like: Pete Buttigieg and Congressman Ritchie Torres.
Buttigieg has donated to Democratic candidates and organizations in all 50 states, cutting checks of at least $5,000 in each one. No single $5,000 contribution will transform an entire state. That is not the point.
The point is the message behind it.
For too long, Democrats have poured nearly all their attention into the same handful of cities, states and marquee races. Buttigieg is making a different argument: The Democratic Party must become a truly national party again. It must organize in red states, compete in overlooked communities and build infrastructure even where victory may not come immediately.
Durable majorities are not created overnight. They are built through years of investment, recruitment and persistence. A contribution today can help a local organization hire an organizer, support a promising candidate or keep Democratic infrastructure alive for the next election. That work may not generate a cable-news chyron, but it is how movements grow.
Nobody ordered Buttigieg to take on this project. He saw what the party needed and acted.
Then there is Congressman Ritchie Torres of New York, who represents one of the poorest congressional districts in America. Torres is already responsible for delivering for his own constituents, yet he has also raised and distributed $2.6 million to Democrats running in frontline House districts.
That is an extraordinary commitment from one member of Congress. Torres did not merely meet his expected dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; he exceeded them, directing resources toward the candidates who will determine control of the House.
This matters because frontline candidates are fighting some of the most expensive and closely contested races in the country. An infusion of cash can mean another television ad, more organizers on the ground or the voter outreach needed to survive a Republican onslaught. Torres is not simply talking about winning back the House; he is helping make it possible.
Buttigieg and Torres are taking different approaches toward the same goal. One is investing in all 50 states and the long-term health of the party. The other is pouring resources into the immediate fight for a House majority. Both understand a fundamental truth: Winning requires sacrifice.
Real leaders think beyond their own races, careers and press coverage. They understand that individual success means very little if the party lacks the power to protect healthcare, defend democracy, lower costs and improve people’s lives.
Democrats should not be ashamed to pursue political power. Power, used for the right reasons, is how promises become policy. The problem is not seeking power; it is seeking power only for yourself.
Pete Buttigieg and Ritchie Torres are showing the party a better model—raise the resources, share them generously, strengthen the entire team and build majorities capable of delivering.
Now the question is whether more Democrats will follow their lead.
-Ethan
