Mike Hersh, PDA Communications Director

Mike’s views are his own, and do not represent PDA’s official positions

Leading progressives founded Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) to implement a well-considered theory of change: uniting both inside and outside of the Democratic Party is the surest, swiftest, and smartest way to achieve the goals and objectives of the center-left.

This article will focus on the ways and means to enact essential policies by implementing PDA’s theory of change. That means inspiring people to start working inside the Democratic Party, leading and supporting new leadership within the Party, in order to achieve shared objectives.

As Alan Minsky wrote in Only Progressives Can Save the Democratic Party, published by Common Dreams, “The Democratic Party is in deep trouble… Progressives are the only hope to save it.”

We must take on that challenge. We can’t wait for someone else to fix the Party. In Alice Walker’s words: “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

Let’s be honest: the Democratic Party isn’t working the way it should—not for working people, not for the planet, and definitely not for the future we need. It hasn’t been democratic. Not at least since the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) took over the party and took it away from the people.

The DLC took over the Democratic Party starting in the 1980s after Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale lost massive landslides to Ronald Reagan. Conservative Democrats founded the DLC in 1985 to reposition the Democratic Party as a Republican Lite echo, not a choice. Progressives must reverse that failed tactic, and offer voters a real choice.

Walking away from this mess, or just complaining about it from the sidelines, won’t fix it. It’s up to us, as progressives, to rebuild, remake, and reimagine the Democratic Party into a people-centered party. This, as opposed to a so-called “centrist” neoliberal/neocon party that—wittingly or unwittingly—empowers the worst, most abusive elements in society,

If we really want a Democratic Party that’s better than it’s been, we must purge the right wing influences that plague it. We must call out and cast out the failed GOP Lite experiment that’s left us with bankrupt politics and a bankrupt economy. One that exacerbates inequality, and feeds into insatiable greed, will to power, and hatefulness.

That means getting involved at the grassroots level to wrest control of the Party away from the moribund, lackluster, and out of touch neoliberal oligarchs, corporatists, and the mercenary consultants they’ve hired. We’ve tried it their way for decades, and they keep losing.

They keep losing ground to reactionaries. They keep losing winnable must win elections to the likes of George W. Bush and Donald J. Trump. They’ve proven they lack the vision, inclination, and philosophy to oppose fascism, promote civil and human rights, restrain wholesale abuses of economic and political power, or deliver on human needs.

As Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are showing in their Anti-Oligarchy Tour, there’s a groundswell of support for tried and true progressive solutions to our common challenges.

That’s why progressives must get involved at the local level—precincts, county committees, and state parties, where important decisions are made, power is built, and passion becomes policy. Here’s how:

1. Influence Party Policies—From the Ground Up: Party policies aren’t all shaped in D.C. They’re often developed locally, by people who show up. When progressives don’t show up, the same old status quo wins by default. Want Medicare for All, a Green New Deal policies, progressive civil rights, immigration, and other policies in the Party’s platform? Then, we must be in the room when it’s written.

2. Decide Who Gets Endorsed: Local party organizations often exercise influence over endorsements—those endorsements bring money, volunteers, and legitimacy. When progressive voices aren’t heard, conservative-leaning Democrats slide by unchallenged.

3. Clear the Path for Progressive Candidates: The Common Dreams piece notes that the Democratic Party “kneecaps” bold progressive candidates early. By getting involved at the local level, you can help progressive candidates navigate the system—instead of getting shut out by it.

4. Control the Rules of the Game: How are primaries run? Who gets to vote? Who becomes a state and national party delegate? Local party bodies set these rules and help select . Change doesn’t just come from fighting the system—it comes from changing it from within.

5. Run Voter Outreach That Actually Inspires People: The party’s usual outreach strategy is bland, transactional, and often tone-deaf. Progressives can drive programs that speak to real issues—climate justice, racial equity, housing—and bring disillusioned voters back into the fold.

6. Recruit Candidates Who Actually Represent You: Progressives are constantly asking, “Why don’t we have better candidates?” The answer: because we’re not in the rooms where recruitment happens. Join a committee, and you can find and support the next generation of unapologetically progressive leaders.

7. Prevent Backroom Deals and Insider Games: When no one’s watching, party insiders protect their own. Getting involved means bringing daylight to these spaces—forcing transparency, accountability, and a culture of public service, not self-preservation.

8. Help Decide Where the Money Goes: Party funds aren’t infinite. They’re directed toward races and candidates based on priorities set by insiders. Show up, and you get a say in where those priorities lie.

9. Become a Delegate—and Shape National Policy: Want to influence who the Democratic nominee is, or what the national convention looks like? It all starts at the precinct level. Delegate selection begins in neighborhoods, not boardrooms.

10. Demand Transparency and Fair Processes: Many local parties operate with little oversight. Progressives inside these structures can fight for open meetings, fair bylaws, and accessible leadership roles—and win them.

11. Bridge the Gap Between Activism and Electoral Politics: Movements and electoral work too often exist in silos. Local party work is a bridge—a way to turn demands into policies and protests into votes.

12. Engage in Local Races Where Big Change Happens: The right figured this out a long time ago: control school boards, city councils, and county commissions, and you control the culture. Progressives must stop leaving these races on the table.

13. Fight Gerrymandering and Voting Rights Attacks: Redistricting battles are local. So are fights over polling locations, ID laws, and ballot access. Get involved and make sure your party is fighting back—not staying silent.

14. Train and Mobilize Volunteers Effectively: Progressives bring energy, but local parties often lack structure. By getting involved, you can build systems that channel that energy where it counts—door-knocking, phone banking, and turnout.

15. Replace Apathy with Action: It’s easy to complain that the Party doesn’t reflect your values. Harder—but far more powerful—is taking responsibility for helping shape it. When progressives show up, the entire party shifts.

16. Fix What’s Broken—Don’t Just Rage Against It: Yes, local parties can be slow, frustrating, even hostile. But that’s exactly why they need bold people willing to challenge the dysfunction—not abandon the space.

17. Stay Ahead of the Curve: Being inside local structures gives you early access to candidates, legislation, and organizing opportunities. That’s leverage. That’s power.

18. Win Primaries, Not Just Arguments: If progressives want to stop losing primaries, they must out-organize and outmaneuver the establishment—and that means knowing the playbook and being at the table when decisions are made.

19. Power Is Built—Not Granted: The Democratic Party isn’t going to suddenly embrace progressive politics. But if progressives build deep, local infrastructure—from precincts to county committees—it won’t have a choice.

20. This Party Belongs to You, Too: You knock the doors. You make the calls. You raise the signs and turn out the votes. Don’t let anyone tell you the Democratic Party isn’t yours. You’ve earned your seat. Take it.

Conclusion: Progressives Are the Hope—But Only If We Show Up: As Alan Minsky makes clear, the Party’s establishment isn’t going to save us. That job falls to us—the ones who actually believe in justice, equity, and a livable future. But belief isn’t enough.

Don’t just complain. Don’t just comment. Don’t agonize, organize! Show up. Run. Vote. Join the local meetings. Become a precinct chair. Make and support motions. Ask questions. Become the vote. Be the change. We have to organize. Getting involved at the local level isn’t glamorous. But it’s how we win. It’s how we build a party—and a country—that actually works for all of us. Sign up here: https://PDAmerica.org/Volunteer