One of the primary purposes of The People vs. Project 2025 is to encourage artists and cultural workers to share their creative skills and energy to organize and participate in public rallies, protests, demonstrations and mass actions to oppose the Trump administration and Project 2025 in the run up to the 2026 mid-term elections.

All of our voices are important and we encourage everyone to be vocal wherever they are. However, artists and cultural workers based in the following states, counties and municipalities are particularly important. According to our analysis, these are the places most likely to decide the balance of power in the next congressional election cycle.

If you are an artist or cultural worker based in one of the following parts of the United States, please consider involving yourself (let us know when you do). If you have friends and colleagues in any of these places (in addition to organizing wherever you are), please reach out to them and urge that they consider being part of the struggle as well.

1. Michigan — Detroit (Wayne County) and Grand Rapids (Kent County)
Rationale: open Democratic seat in a state that flipped narrowly in 2024; big metro turnout (Detroit area) vs. Republican strength in Grand Rapids suburbs will decide margins. Ballotpedia+1

2. North Carolina — Charlotte (Mecklenburg County) and Raleigh / Wake County
Rationale: large urban Democratic bases vs fast-growing suburban vote in Charlotte/Wake that swings statewide; Cook/Inside Elections list NC as a top play. Cook Political Report+1

3. New Hampshire — Manchester and Nashua
Rationale: both are the state’s largest cities and provide the margins (plus nearby swing suburbs) that determine statewide results in a small-electorate state. Cook Political Report+1

4. Maine — Portland and Lewiston
Rationale: Maine’s coastal/Portland turnout and Lewiston’s working-class vote have swung statewide Senate contests before (experts moved ME into play after key candidate entries). Cook Political Report+1

5. Georgia — Atlanta metro (Fulton & Gwinnett suburbs) and Savannah / Chatham County
Rationale: Georgia remains nationally competitive; Atlanta suburban counties (Gwinnett, Cobb, Fulton) are decisive, while other metro areas (e.g., Savannah region) can move margins in a close race. Inside Elections+1

6. Ohio — Cleveland (Cuyahoga County) and Columbus (Franklin County)
Rationale: two biggest population centers — Democratic strength in Cuyahoga and margins in Columbus/suburbs will be decisive in a state where Cook and others show competitiveness. Cook Political Report+1

7. Texas — Houston (Harris County) and Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs (Tarrant / Collin / Denton)
Rationale: Texas is high-population and has competitive suburban margins; experts list Cornyn/TX as a race to watch where metro/suburban shifts matter. Ballotpedia+1

8. Iowa — Des Moines (Polk County) and Cedar Rapids / Linn County
Rationale: Iowa’s urban centers + exurban turnout have decided recent statewide results; several expert trackers show IA as a seat to watch. Cook Political Report+1

9. Minnesota — Minneapolis (Hennepin County) and St. Paul / Ramsey County (or the suburban ring like Anoka / Dakota)
Rationale: Minnesota’s urban core vs suburban ring is the key dynamic; experts have Minnesota on the “lean/toss-up” radar. Cook Political Report+1

10. Florida — Miami / Miami-Dade County and Tampa Bay (Hillsborough / Pinellas)
Rationale: high population, large Latino and suburban blocs — Ballotpedia and other trackers include Florida among watched contests (special election dynamics also matter). Ballotpedia+1