Working families built North Carolina

It's time politicians worked for us

We’re done watching politicians put donors first. Every candidate in 2026 will have to earn our vote.

600K+

North Carolinians at Risk of Losing Healthcare

239,500

Western NC Residents on SNAP After Hurricane Helene

$0

What Billionaires Contributed While Working Families Lost Coverage

who we are

We're North Carolinians

We’re working people from across North Carolina — from farming communities in the east to mountain towns still rebuilding after Helene, from growing suburbs to small cities where everybody knows your name. We have GEDs and PhDs. We work in agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, and small businesses.

We believe in the American Dream — that if you work hard, play by the rules, and look out for your neighbors, you should be able to build a good life for your family. That’s what this country promised us. That’s what we teach our kids.

We were promised affordable healthcare, food on the table, and a real shot at the American Dream. For too many North Carolina families, that promise isn’t being kept. In 2026, we’re holding every candidate, regardless of party, accountable to that promise.

Our families are hurting

Washington redirected Medicaid and food assistance funding to tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Over 600,000 North Carolinians are now at risk of losing the healthcare they depend on.

Rural hospitals are closing. Kids can’t see doctors. Seniors can’t afford nursing homes. Families rebuilding after Helene are losing food assistance. The American Dream isn’t supposed to work like this — where the people who do everything right get undercut by the people they voted for.

But we have hope — because North Carolina has always been a state where people show up for each other. And if we get organized, we can make candidates of both parties do right by our families on healthcare, food assistance, and the things that matter most.

Politicians from both parties have put corporate donors ahead of working families for too long. We’re here because no candidate — Democrat, Republican, or Independent — should get our vote without proving they’ll fight for us first.

The American Dream is worth fighting for. So let's fight for it.

what's at stake

Across North Carolina, Working Families Are Losing Ground

600,000+

North Carolinians who gained coverage through Medicaid expansion now face losing it — including working adults, children, and seniors in nursing homes.

39%

of all NC Medicaid recipients live in rural counties — the same communities where hospitals depend on Medicaid funding to keep the lights on.

13,400

more Western NC residents are on SNAP now than before Hurricane Helene. Their food assistance is being cut while they're still rebuilding.

$703-$1,300

per capita income loss when a rural hospital closes — plus rising unemployment. Medicaid cuts are literally closing our hospitals.

people like us

ordinary people are standing up

Across North Carolina, working people who got sold out are saying “enough.” They’re not switching parties — they’re putting every candidate on notice: fight for us, or lose our vote.

Richard Jones

"My Lumbee heritage influences the way I see food, family, and community. Food sovereignty matters a lot to me. Working in public schools, I notice families doing their best, but fresh food costs so much that processed food is often the only affordable option. People want to eat healthier and give their kids a better life, but it is hard when it takes two people working, sometimes at two jobs each, just to get by. People are having to choose between food and medicine. That is why it is important we keep our government accountable. Too often, the real struggles families face are overlooked. This is not a left-or-right issue. This is a people issue. If you feel like this too, Take Back the Dream is a place where we can talk about it and start making a change."

Madison Morrison

"I was deep in MAGA—I'm talking white supremacy, Alex Jones, the whole thing. January 6th broke something in me. But here's what really hit home: seeing my neighbors and their kids SNAP benefits cut in half. I have an elderly neighbor who’s currently fighting for assistance because she is fully disabled and they still want her to be looking for a job or volunteering. I voted for Trump because he promised change but this isn't what any of us signed up for. We're calling on every candidate—Republican, Democrat, whoever—to commit to protecting working families' healthcare before they get our votes. If you're questioning what's happening, you're not alone. Join us."

Kristen Probert

"As a grandmother, I worry rising costs make it harder for my young adult children and grandchildren to afford housing, food, and necessities. My daughter works part-time due to child care costs; her partner works full-time, where insurance is unavailable. They had to reapply for Medicaid, and if denied, my grandsons may not have insurance unless they get a second job. Losing Medicaid would be a huge hardship. Nobody should have to work two jobs to afford health care for their children. I’m worried they will not get the care they need, or that another plan will have ridiculous deductibles and still not cover enough. Most people on Medicaid are not “milking” the system. They are hardworking people who cannot afford health care. If you are worried too, I hear you, and I see you. Join us and speak up. Politicians need to hear from you."

James Hicks

"When I was deep in MAGA, I was at my lowest — a late autism and ADHD diagnosis, depression, anxiety. Trump became someone I trusted because I felt left behind. What I didn’t realize was that everyday people were already fighting for me — pressuring politicians of both parties to stop the corporate push to gut the Affordable Care Act. Coverage I couldn’t have fought for myself. As I found my own voice, I realized I didn’t need someone telling me how to see my world. The Big Beautiful Bill is cutting Medicaid and food assistance for people facing the same struggles I once faced. It’s up to us to stand together the way others stood up for me. If you feel the same way, there’s a place for you in this movement."

Seth Lee

"I began farming with my grandfather when I was 10, helping with hay, wheat straw, and soybeans. That’s where my love for agriculture started, and eventually, I turned it into a business. I feel incredibly grateful for my success, but rising costs keep making it harder to reach my American dream. My fiancé stays home with our children because her entire paycheck would just cover childcare. I dream of owning land, building a house, and supporting my family. As a landscaper, I drive a lot, and everything from gas and fertilizer to groceries has gotten more expensive. Filling my tank used to cost $70, but now it’s $100, and our weekly grocery bill jumped from $80 to $120. I joined Take Back the Dream because I believe it’s time to lower costs, and our elected officials should stand up for the people they represent, not just their party."

Courtney Rosenberg

"When I was younger, I depended on food assistance to get by. I know what it's like to worry about how you're going to eat. I also voted for Trump—twice. I believed he'd fight for working people. Now I'm watching his Big Beautiful Bill cut SNAP benefits for families just like mine was. That's not the American Dream. That's pulling the ladder up behind you. If you voted for Trump and you're watching this happen, you don't have to stay silent. We're organizing to hold every candidate accountable for protecting working families. Join us."

Victoria Hurst

"I grew up on my mom's disability check. There were weeks we couldn't pay the electric bill. I know what it's like to stretch Dollar Store food and Little Caesars pizza for days. I voted for Trump because I was tired of feeling left behind. Now his Big Beautiful Bill is cutting the same programs that kept my family alive. Disability. Medicaid. Food assistance. I made it out of poverty, but I never forgot where I came from — and these cuts are taking dignity away from people who are exactly where I was. If you grew up like me and you're watching this happen, speak up. Join us."

Tammie Whitstine

"I thought going to college when I was young would mean I wouldn't worry about housing as a senior. I'm on disability now and getting closer to homelessness than I've ever been, at a time in my life when I should be worrying less, not more. Between corporate takeovers in housing and the Big Beautiful Bill gutting our healthcare, food assistance, and hospitals, working people are being squeezed from every direction — so billionaires and the lobbyists they bankroll can pocket even more. We didn't work our whole lives for this. Every candidate in 2026 needs to answer for it. If you feel the same way, there's a place for you in this movement."

Steve Vilchez

"I’m the son of Mexican immigrants and I was a proud Trump supporter. I used to support Trump’s healthcare cuts — then I took a look in the mirror. The only way I can afford to see a doctor is because Medicaid helps pay the bills, even as a working student. My mom can’t access Medicaid and asks me to help cover her prescriptions. I do it without hesitation, even when money’s tight. My family came to this country for the American Dream. That dream includes being able to see a doctor. I don’t care about party labels. I care about candidates who will fight for working families. If you feel the same way, there’s a place for you in this movement."

Why this matters

When We Speak Up, Things Can Change. Fast.

In 2023, North Carolinians fought for and won Medicaid expansion — extending healthcare to over 600,000 people, including working adults, children, and seniors. Democrats and Republicans came together to make it happen because working people demanded it.

When proposed federal cuts threatened to rip that coverage away, leaders across party lines pushed back. Senator Thom Tillis said the cuts would ‘kick 600,000+ North Carolinians off healthcare’ and refused to vote for them. Protecting healthcare isn’t partisan in North Carolina. Cutting it is.

Here’s the thing politicians don’t want you to know: North Carolina elections are decided by razor-thin margins. A few thousand votes decide statewide races. That means working people in a handful of counties — organized, loud, and clear about what they expect — don’t just make noise. We decide elections.

This isn't about party labels. It's about power — and right now, we have more of it than they want us to know.

what we're demanding

Before They Get Our Votes, Every Candidate Must Commit To:

Keep Costs Affordable

Working families shouldn't have to choose between groceries, healthcare, and keeping the lights on.

Protect Healthcare and Food Assistance

Over 600,000 North Carolinians depend on these programs to see doctors, feed their families, and get through hard times.

Keep Rural Hospitals Open

When hospitals close, people die and local economies collapse. No community in North Carolina should become a medical desert.

Put Working Families First

We work hard and play by the rules. We deserve candidates who put us first — not wealthy donors looking for a handout.

We don’t care about party labels. We care whether you’ll fight for us.

take the pledge

Sign your name. Then we get to work

what happens next

Connect, Build Community, Go Public, Make Our Voices Count

01.

CONNECT

You’ll hear from someone in your area who’s going through the same thing you are. Not a campaign pitch — a conversation.

02.

BUILD COMMUNITY

Join local meetings with your neighbors to share stories, build relationships, and figure out what we want from the candidates asking for our votes.

03.

GO PUBLIC

Add your name to open letters in local papers. Share your story. Show politicians — and your neighbors — that working people are organizing and paying attention.

04.

MAKE OUR VOICES COUNT

Come together as a statewide force to hold every 2026 candidate accountable — and make sure they know that working people in North Carolina decide elections.

a few hundred voices

can change everything in North Carolina

Statewide races here come down to a few thousand votes. When working people organize, we don’t just complain — we decide elections. Add your name and help us make 2026 the year politicians start keeping their promises.

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