At the Ogden Dinner, our chairman outlined our local game plan for defining our own positive vision, winning more elections, and driving our reforms home by making them the law of the land. We’ve been listening, organizing, and winning with you. Here is Chair Tim Probst’s closing speech from the Ogden Dinner. This is how we not only win in 2026, but win big, and then turn it into big reforms that people can feel. 

Democrats, we will not only take back our country. We will transform it for the common good of all Americans! 

Chair Probst’s Closing Remarks from the 2025 Ogden Dinner: 

My friends and fellow Democrats, we live in challenging times. But take courage, for our cause is just, we have many friends, and we know how to win. 

Earlier tonight, I talked about the positive message, the practicality of winning the swing voters, and the Opportunity 2027 plan to make big changes fast when we regain our majorities. 

Please, let’s all start using the same positive talking points about why people should vote for Democrats, and not just vote against MAGA. We Democrats stand for the economy, the Constitution, and common decency. We stand for stronger unions, affordable lives for working people, a $15 national minimum wage, Medicare for all who want it, and affordable housing. We will build global alliances with modern democracies grounded in human rights, strong environmental and labor standards, and we will lock authoritarian dictators like Putin out of international markets until they change their ways for good. We want to get the billionaires out of our elections. In stark contrast to our opposition, we are building an America where every person of every kind is authentically valued and welcomed, because their country loves them.  

We’re building an America that works for working people and respects the dignity of all people. 

We know we can accomplish that by winning the swing voters in the swing districts. Our local 17th district is 52% Democratic, and the 18th district is a 50/50 toss-up. Last year we flipped one Senate seat to blue in those districts, and next year, we are going to flip all 4 State House seats in those districts from MAGA to Democrat, by winning our Democratic base and also winning the independent swing voters. If we do that, we’ll lock in years of Democratic victory, and that means our vision will become the law.  

The swing voters need to hear us speaking to them, and we have so many ways to authentically win their votes! Democrats support working families and affordable lives better than Republicans. We balance budgets and practice fiscal discipline better than Republicans. We create middle class jobs better. We reduce crime, support cops and firefighters, and support our military and our veterans better. We are the party of patriotism. We’re tough on crime and we’re tough on the root causes of crime. We support rural Americans better, we support small businesses better, and we support blue collar workers better. 

If we just take the time and have the courtesy to remind swing voters that we already agree with them on the issues they care about, we will lock in a generation of Democratic victories while still being true to ourselves.  

Do you know what that means? It means we get to turn our talk and our vision into law, change our goals into concrete reality, and change real lives for real people across our state and nation. It means stronger unions, a national $15 minimum wage, and Medicare for All Who Want It become reality, not just hopes and dreams. 

Please read Opportunity 2027, read the 60% Plan, and read the Unity Platform. Even more importantly, please answer the call when we need volunteers, action, and money.  

It’s true, we are fighting against cruelty, gross incompetence, and thinly veiled dictatorship. But remember, that’s an opportunity for us to paint the alternative picture. As American patriots, we want a nation that is both powerful … and good. An economy that lets working families thrive, a wildly successful society that is also passionately humane, and competence to turn wise and optimistic vision into practical reality for millions and millions of real people. 

Now let’s go win some elections! Forward together.