Texas Democrat Taylor Rehmet upset Trump-backed MAGA candidate Leigh Wambsganss. Matt Angle, a Texas Democratic operative, commented that Rehmet is an “absolute reflection of the district” while Wambsganss is an “absolute reflection of national MAGA.” How did Rehmet and his team, totally outspent by Republicans, pull off this upset? Knocking on doors. 40,000 of them. Spending time with people in their living rooms, kitchens and in their driveways. His staff received training in active listening. It worked. The issues Rehmet heard and campaigned on may not be the issues we have here in Pennsylvania and Bucks County, but the approach should be the same. Knock on doors. Actively listen. Especially in the face of MAGAphone Steve Bannon urging deploying ICE at polling sites, in the face of Trump posting abhorrent, racist images on Truth Social, egregiously supported by a dismissive Karoline Leavitt, MAGArrogantly sniffing, “stop the fake outrage” - until the genuine blowback caused a flip-flop change in messaging, blaming an anonymous “staffer” for “erroneously” making the post. The growing outrage is not fake, and is not just at the latest racist Trump post. Rehmet’s win is a bellwether and a lesson for us here. Take Republican PA governor candidate Stacy Garrity who is embracing Trump and his cookie-cutter Trump-MAGA “America First” rhetoric, with Trump saying Garrity will “strengthen the military” and “keep borders secure,” making her an absolute reflection of national MAGA, not Pennsylvania or Bucks County. Our Democratic candidates must be absolute reflections of our districts, our towns and our issues. We must hit the streets, knock on doors, and listen so we can speak for the people as we work to further upset Trump’s growingly outrageous political rhetoric and ambitions.