Progressives have two goals when it comes to the Senate this year: preserving our current majority, and making sure our next majority supports reforming the filibuster. Fortunately, this year’s race in North Carolina gives us the chance to do both, which is why Daily Kos is proud to endorse former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley in her bid to flip this open seat from the GOP.

If you’re reading this, you know all too well how the Democratic agenda his been stymied for more than a year all because just two senators—a mere 4% of the party’s caucus—prefer to allow a handful of Republicans to block the will of the chamber. It’s wrong, it’s maddening, and it’s anti-democratic—and Beasley won’t stand for it. “It’s time to eliminate it,” she says of the filibuster in no uncertain terms.

Please donate $3 now to help Cheri Beasley turn North Carolina’s Senate seat from red to blue!

During her many years on the bench, Beasley worked to keep communities safe, uphold the rule of law, and protect constitutional rights. In the Senate, she’ll fight to lower costs and expand access to affordable health care, safeguard our democracy, and take action to address climate change. Her vote would go a long way toward passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, making the child tax credit permanent, establishing universal pre-K and paid family leave, and so much more.

But as you can guess, Beasley’s likely opponents would viciously oppose these reforms. While North Carolina Democrats have rallied around Beasley, Republicans are duking it out in what’s been an ugly and costly primary from day one. The most notorious candidate is former Gov. Pat McCrory, who signed into law the hideous anti-trans legislation known as HB2, a debacle that not only led to a massive boycott of the state but also cost McCrory his job. But just as horrid is Rep. Ted Budd, a vigorous proponent of the Big Lie who has Donald Trump’s endorsement and called Vladimir Putin “very intelligent” after the Russian dictator launched his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

We can’t let either of these thugs anywhere near the Senate, but whoever emerges as the nominee, Republicans will spend tens of millions of dollars to keep this seat in their hands. Fortunately, Beasley has experience winning statewide—she’s done so twice—and as a Black woman, she’s demonstrated an ability to activate voters who have often been left out of the political process.

But she’ll need the resources to get her message out, connect with voters, and fend off GOP attacks. Beasley has pledged not to take any money from corporate PACs, so it’s on us, the party’s grassroots, to make up that slack with small-dollar, people-powered donations.

North Carolina is a swingy state, and polling shows this race is close. That means we have a very winnable race on our hands, but also a very difficult one, because Republicans are seeing the same data we are. With Cheri Beasley, we can take a huge stride toward electing the progressive Senate majority we know we need. The time for us to help is now.

Donate $3 to help a fantastic progressive flip a GOP Senate seat and bust down the filibuster!

Donate now to turn North Carolina's Senate seat from red to blue!

Donate now to turn North Carolina's Senate seat from red to blue!