A Changing of the Guard is Coming

Amid all the horrific news of recent weeks, a changing of the guard is afoot in the Democratic Party. Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has repeatedly slammed Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer's decision to enable a Republican bill that would have avoided a government shutdown to move forward, calling the move a "tremendous mistake" and "a huge slap in the face" in media interviews. Privately, AOC's colleagues have been urging her to challenge Schumer for his Senate seat in 2028.?

Politics shouldn't just be about age, but it's a factor in the shuffle. AOC is 35. Schumer is still a spring chicken at 74, making him just 77 in three years' time. Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, is 84. And Donald Trump, of course, is 78. Nobody is sure what will happen. I actually disagree with AOC about Schumer's strategy. If I were him I'd have done the same thing. There is no point picking a fight you'll lose. But AOC is also picking a political fight she seems to feel she can win.?

Meanwhile, we're going to see a bumper crop of new candidates in the next elections. Amanda Litman, CEO of Run For Something, has been on a press tour. Whoever is doing her PR is doing well. In the last week she's gotten coverage in Rolling Stone ("Progressives are pissed, this group wants them to run for office"); ?Politico ("DOGE is turning into a Democratic candidate recruitment tool") and even appeared on Rachel Maddow's show. The organization "saw a sharp spike of more than 2,000 new applications pouring in as Musk issued major actions pushing federal workers out. A lot of that web traffic came from Reddit threads of former federal employees considering runs for political office that sprang up last week."

I'm pleased to see more young people running for office, and in particular, more young women. One of my long-term clients, IGNITE, helps a diverse group of young women unleash their political power. It's infectious to be around young women who are running for office, or getting legislation passed. I've enjoyed helping the organization place editorials around the country to reshape the narrative about women in power.?If you look at the women in power resisting the worst of Trump's excesses you could also do worse than the moderate Republicans Susan Collins, R—Maine,?and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. My good friend Charles, an author-collaborator?and former columnist in Alaska, has worked with Sen. Lisa Murkowski on her upcoming memoir which I can't wait to read.?

There are plenty of myths about women in politics. Women are told to wait before running, men are told to go for it. We're biased against women leaders even though the research shows they pass more legislation than men do. Women still struggle to raise money in comparison to men. On the other hand, a lot of wealthy old men are dying, and they're about to hand trillions of dollars to women. I would be delighted to see the beneficiaries of that wealth transfer fund a healthy crop of women candidates.?

Nonprofits are also changing the guard in the wake of Donald Trump's election victory. With countless federal workers losing their jobs under DOGE, cause-driven organizations are hiring some of the best people. But there's also a crisis in funder confidence about what to do now. Some funders are stepping forward to say a few things but I'm yet to see the majority of foundations do anything impressive to meet the moment. They're worried they'll be targeted by the administration. The Chronicle of Philanthropy even compiled a 346-strong hit-list for Trump's people. And there's a funding crisis for many nonprofits. ?

As a result, I'm seeing some great nonprofits lose good communications people. I've been brought in to "pinch hit" in some of those positions as they're evolving, and I'm happy to talk with you if you need someone who's good in a crisis. I hate to use a horrific turn of phrase but having seen a rare dip in revenue a few weeks ago, it now looks like I might be in for a "good war," as far as all the uncertainty goes.?Part of being a consultant is assuming the risk on behalf of your clients, and I’m honored to do that at this difficult and pivotal time in history. I hope that as you navigate this period of uncertainty the changing of the guard brings you the occasional opportunity, too. You deserve it a lot more than many people who have been given it recently do. ?

Matt Davis is a strategic communications consultant in Manhattan.