It’s a good day in America.
Yesterday, Americans went to the polls and pushed back against the cruelty, corruption and dangerous direction of this administration. They rejected government that works only for the elites. I am proud of the people who cared enough about our country to run for public office, organize in their communities and exercise their right to vote.
Lewis Brogdon
As I reminded my congregation on Sunday, voting can be an expression of loving our neighbors. For people of faith, it can be a way of bearing witness to the values of the gospel and the kingdom of God, especially justice, compassion, human dignity and concern for the vulnerable. It also can be an act of resistance to the corruption and concentration of power that have characterized empires throughout history.
And we made history. America elected its first Black female governor, its first Native American female governor, its first Muslim American senator, its first openly gay male senator, and its first Native American woman senator. Florida elected its first Black governor, Texas its first Latina governor, and Wisconsin its first Black governor. Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House.
I am encouraged to see religious leaders stepping forward to serve, including Adam Hamilton in Kansas and Frederick Douglass Haynes III in Texas. These historic achievements matter. They remind us that the doors of political leadership continue to open to people and communities too often excluded from the halls of power.
Another important lesson from this election is that our democracy is not for sale. The growing influence of billionaires, corporate elites and special interests in American politics should concern every American. Yet this election reminds us that enormous wealth does not guarantee electoral victory.
Elon Musk and other wealthy political donors spent extraordinary sums attempting to shape the outcome of these elections, especially in Texas. Their money could not deliver the results they wanted. That is encouraging, but it also underscores the urgent need to confront the corrupting influence of money in our political system. The voices and votes of ordinary Americans must matter more than the fortunes of the wealthy and powerful.
“Ordinary people stepped up. People refused to give in to despair, cynicism and the belief that nothing could change.”
But what encourages me most is something even more fundamental: Ordinary people stepped up. People refused to give in to despair, cynicism and the belief that nothing could change. Our political system is flawed, but ordinary citizens went to work. They organized, volunteered, ran for office and voted.
Now the real work begins. Millions of Americans are struggling every single day with inflation and the rising cost of living. Families are being squeezed by unaffordable housing, staggering health care costs and economic insecurity. It is too difficult for people to feed their families, pay their bills, afford medical care and keep a roof over their heads. This has to change.
We need to end the war in Iran. We desperately need meaningful immigration reform, including accountability and reform of ICE, an end to abusive detention practices and serious scrutiny of the for-profit detention industry.
“We, the people” need to work with our elected officials to build government policies and practices that respect human dignity, protect vulnerable communities and serve the common good. We can build a better America. We do not have to settle for the nation we have become over the past two years.
Election victories are important, but they are not enough. Those entrusted with public office must now demonstrate that they can govern responsibly, confront these difficult challenges, and improve the lives of the people they were elected to serve. We have a responsibility to work with them on these issues and to hold them accountable to the will of the people.
Today is a reminder that the future of this country is not determined by the powerful alone. Ordinary people still have a voice. Ordinary people still have power. And when ordinary people decide to act, they can make history.
Today, I am grateful. Today, I am encouraged. And today, I have a little more hope for America.
Lewis Brogdon currently serves as interim pastor at Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky.