Three Wins Today: Dec 3, 2025

Republicans are Entirely to Blame for this Situation

So, Aftyn Behn lost. And, I want to be crystal clear, that was expected.

Mark Green won the seat by 21 points back in November, and Trump won the district by 22. This is one of, if not the reddest district in Tennessee. We’ve been doing REALLY well this year, but we’ve only broken a 15+ point margin a handful of times, and none of them were at the congressional level.

But what we did was take a 21 point margin and turn it into a 9 point one. That’s a really big deal.

That is a signal that no Republican seat where the Republican won by less than 12 points is safe.

There is this prevailing idea that every year there are less and less battleground races, but if we’re not talking about 5 points, but rather 12? That’s an increase.

And even if we don’t win all of them, they are ALL competitive, meaning, Republicans are going to be spending exorbitant amounts of money in races they typically don’t spend any.

And that means that the closer battlegrounds aren’t going to get the influx of cash they typically do.

Secondly, this means that all their gerrymandering has been a waste of time. To gerrymander you have to create more seats that are lean or likely rather than deep Red, because you’re taking in Dem precincts. So a district that was once R+20 might now be +12, and oops, that’s now in the battle ground margin.

Which means we have the obligation to make every single one of those seats as competitive as possible. These are not longshots, and they’re not a waste of time to fight for.

Also, based on anonymous insiders that have been talking to the likes of Punchbowl News, many Republicans were already considering jumping ship before the Midterms. If they were considering it before, this may just solidify that decision. And we just might get Speaker Jeffries before 2027.

We are showing Republicans that their days of being in the majority are numbered, and, if Aftyn runs again in 2026, focusing her efforts on the light red counties from this election? Who knows what she might be able to do.

This was a win in so many different ways, even if it gives Republicans their House vote back.

And I hope it’s a reminder to vote in every single election, no matter how small or Red your area is.

My photo of a woman getting off the bus from July 2025 (I would much rather use your art, so please be on the lookout for my posts asking for art for this series!)

England

Fri, Nov 21 - The first openly gay Miss England was crowned. Her name is Grace Richardson, she’s from Leicester and she’s 20 years old.

She spoke to Birmingham Mail about the importance of representation:

Knowing I’m able to share my story and represent a part of our community that hasn’t been represented in this way before is really special. It is important for young people in the LGBTQ community to see people representing them in all types of walks of life. I haven’t seen anyone in pageantry talk about sexuality in the way that I have so it is important to me for them to feel seen.

The best way we have to change the conversation around queerness, is just by existing and speaking up in all spaces we’re in, like Richardson is doing here.

We are everywhere and we belong everywhere and the more we say that and show that, the faster those against us will just have to deal with it.

Not to mention making sure queer kids know they can try for anything, there are no limits on who they can be. And those are both incredibly important lessons right now.

Pennsylvania

Mon, Nov 24 - Governor Josh Shapiro has ended the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) mess, brought on by Republicans in the legislature refusing to fund the transportation service.

He gave $219.9 million to PA Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll to pay for the desperately needed updates and repairs to SEPTA that Republicans have been fighting against this year.

He said in a statement:

Mass transit is absolutely critical to our Commonwealth’s economy, our communities, and the everyday lives of Pennsylvanians. My Administration is stepping up once again to provide SEPTA with the funding it needs to complete critical repairs, meet federal safety requirements, and restore full service — but we need a long-term solution. I will keep fighting for additional recurring funding for mass transit in Harrisburg so that we can invest in mass transit systems, including SEPTA, all across the Commonwealth.

This shouldn’t have had to happen. This should have been allocated by the legislature, but this fight has been going on for 6 months and he’s ending it before anyone else gets hurt.

Republicans are entirely to blame for this situation, and if you live in PA, remember that when you’re voting.

California

Wed, Nov 26 - In 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order that would begin transforming unused buildings around the state into affordable housing. Last week, six new sites were announced:

Department of State Hospitals (DSH) Atascadero – 87 affordable units and one market-rate unit

DSH Napa – 183 affordable units and two market-rate units 

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Fontana – 127 affordable large-family units and one market-rate unit

DGS (Department of General Services) San Bernardino – 203 affordable units and two market-rate units

DMV Stockton – 108 affordable units and two market-rate units

DGS Stockton – 132 affordable units and two market-rate units

It is very cool to see elected leaders continuing to follow through on their promises.

In a statement, Newsom said:

This holiday season, we’re working to make sure California families don’t just have a place at the table but that they have a place to call home. When we invest in affordable housing, we’re giving communities the ingredients they need to thrive and helping families put down roots. Everyone deserves a place to call home, and we remain committed to delivering on this promise.

There is still absolutely a housing shortage in California, but its steps like this that continue to work towards fixing that problem.

I hope that the next governor continues and scales up this program. Everyone should be able to afford a home.

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So those are some of today’s wins! I hope after reading them you find a way you can make some wins happen yourself!

Our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!