The year 2025 is drawing to a close, and the holiday season is upon us yet again.

Fantastic times, good times! The front door getting frozen completely shut! Trimming the trees, taming the fire, drinking apple cider. That annual economic grind getting taken up another notch come mid-November, long trips to the grocery store with even longer lists for seasonal meals, the frenzy of shopping post-Thanksgiving, buying new lights because last year one bulb in the middle of the garland exploded and now all twenty feet of lights are completely shot. What an exciting season! With all the holiday festivities, it’s also important to think about the year stretched ahead of us: 2026.

Jan 20th will mark one year of President Trump holding office. While it’s easy to look back at the changes made and be frustrated, it’s also key to acknowledge progress we’ve made. At the end of 2025, Democrats have made considerable progress in elections across the nation. Just recently, we saw Abigail Spanberger win the Virginia election, and Mamdani’s victory was not only a win for the city but also a long and impressive campaign that gathered the energy and hope of our entire nation. We have made it this far. In spite of everything we have made it almost an entire year. While it sometimes seems that political change is slow; after all, we have to wait for election cycles to exercise our right to vote for the people we think deserve office, it never stops. We don’t have to wait to vote to exercise our democracy.

Democracy means so much more than voting. It can mean taking the time to volunteer for a few hours out of a busy schedule or going door to door to encourage people to vote, to register, to research. There is no lack of things to do to make it feel like you’re making a difference. We can’t stop just because there’s nothing big or obvious to accomplish. The small things dictate how democrats and progressives will do when we campaign for office in 2028. The Gubernatorial elections will take place next year, and there are always fundraising events and volunteering opportunities. Right now, even though the presidential election is three years away, what we do now matters. The way we handle our current president’s policies, the way we protest, the way we speak, the campaigns we run in between, it all matters greatly. Eyes are watching, the public is especially attentive during a time when the news is chaotic and politics is extremely polarized. Undecided voters, independents, and young kids who will be old enough to vote when election day rolls around…they are our goal. If we want real change, we cannot leave anyone behind. So, to all of the democrats and progressives who are wondering what will happen during the rest of President Trump’s term: only time will tell. Because we can’t predict the future, the most powerful thing we can do is to respond to current events eloquently, to continue to recognize and call out issues with the government, and keep fighting and protesting for what matters to us. Staying active in our communities, voting in even the smallest of elections.

2026 is not the time to take the bench, it’s time to start planning for what’s next. Because sooner than we know it, 2028 will roll around and we don’t want to be scrambling to prove that Democratic policies and ideas are more effective, let’s show them now. This is our time.

About the Writer:

Hi! I’m Kana Rasmussen. I’m a sophomore at Memorial High School and I would consider myself to be pretty politically active and progressive. I’m the co-president of the High School Democrats and I love running, writing, and playing a variety of instruments. I’m really excited to be running the club and writing for the Dems this year. We’re always welcoming new members and would LOVE to have you and your friends. Even if you’re not sure all of your values align, that’s completely okay: stop by and join us!

Democracy's "New Year"