Indivisible, a left-wing activist network tied to the “No Kings” protests, has launched its biggest primary push yet, targeting Senate Democrats who joined Republicans to reopen the government after the shutdown. The group frames this as a demand for a tougher Democratic Party, while critics point to outside funding and radical protest tactics as evidence the movement is out of step with mainstream voters. This article walks through the split votes, the group’s stated goals and the political fallout playing out on both sides.
Indivisible says it will primary Democrats who it sees as insufficiently combative, framing the effort as a corrective to what it calls feckless party leadership. The group rose to prominence organizing the “No Kings” demonstrations earlier in 2024, protests that cast President Trump as a would-be monarch and pushed hard on immigration and other flashpoint issues. To Republicans, Indivisible represents the activist left that keeps pulling the Democratic Party away from practical compromises that keep government running.
Co-founder Ezra Levin put the group’s motives bluntly: “This is no longer about them – it’s about us. We’re done waiting for Democrats to find their spine,” he said. “We can’t afford a weak and cowardly Democratic Party while the authoritarians invade our cities, terrorize our communities, and threaten our democracy. We get the party we demand, and we intend to demand a Democratic Party that fights.” That rhetoric underscores a shift from protest to direct electoral intervention.
The group’s backing is not small. Indivisible was launched in 2017 and has grown into a network of local organizations, and it received a two-year grant reported at $3 million in 2023 to support social welfare activities. For Republican critics, that kind of funding shows how big-money donors and national organizations can distort local politics. The argument is simple: outside cash plus hardline demands makes for a party that moves left to appease activists rather than govern for ordinary voters.
Levin kept up the pressure in later statements that targeted Senate leadership directly: “Chuck Schumer and a critical mass of Senate Democrats surrendered,” Levin said. “For nearly six weeks, Republicans held the government hostage while threatening health care, food assistance, and basic services for millions of Americans.” He added, “In these six weeks of the shutdown, Democrats had their best election night in over a decade, polls showed Republicans were losing this shutdown fight, and their base turned out for the largest protest in modern U.S. history with a resounding rejection of Trump and Republicans.”
Levin continued, “Instead of standing with that energy, Senate Democrats surrendered – yet again. That’s why Indivisible is launching our largest primary program yet.” Those comments make clear the strategy: replace incumbents deemed too willing to compromise with challengers pledged to fight back at every turn. Republicans see this as a further radicalization of the Democratic bench that will make governing harder and fuel partisan gridlock.
Seven Senate Democrats and Independent Sen. Angus King broke with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to support a revised plan to reopen the government, ending a shutdown that began Oct. 1. Sens. John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto, Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan, Jacky Rosen, Tim Kaine, and Dick Durbin all joined the vote to reopen. Republicans hailed the move as a win for responsible governance, while Indivisible called it a betrayal.
Leah Greenberg, Indivisible’s other co-founder, framed the group’s program as a defense against authoritarianism: “Our democracy is facing an existential threat. We need leaders with backbone and conviction — not timidity and excuses,” she said. “Democrats can’t defeat authoritarianism by running from the fight. It’s in our hands to make sure those who can’t fight make space for the leaders who can. Indivisible is ready to clean house and build a party that actually has the energy to act like an opposition.” That stance signals an intention to reshape the party rather than broker compromise.
The shutdown debate included heated claims over healthcare and benefits, with Republicans saying Democrats insisted on protections for illegal immigrants and Democrats denying that charge, arguing Republicans failed to negotiate in good faith. The House later voted to reopen the government and the bill advanced for the president’s signature. A White House official said, “President Trump has wanted the government reopened since the first day Democrats shut it down. The action in the Senate is a positive development and we look forward to seeing it progress.”
Criticism came from within Democratic ranks too. “Pathetic. This isn’t a deal. It’s a surrender. Don’t bend the knee!,” Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s official press office posted Sunday evening. Newsom added on his own X account: “America deserves better,” as well as another message that just read, “”
“As this vote moves to the House, I stand with Democratic leadership as they refuse to rubber stamp the full-scale Republican assault on Americans’ health care and I am proud of the majority of Senate Democrats who opposed this vote,” DNC Chair.
“I’ve said it since the start of this shutdown — Republicans do not negotiate in good faith, and any deal that fails to protect healthcare is not a deal at all. For Democrats to cave now would be a complete betrayal of the American people,” Illinois Lt. Governor and Senate candidate .
Indivisible’s plan calls for Schumer to step aside and promises to back primary challengers committed to a harder line against MAGA, pledging endorsements and organizing ahead of the 2026 cycle. Republicans will argue those moves only make bipartisan fixes less likely and hand leverage to activists with narrow agendas. The coming fights inside the Democratic Party will matter to voters trying to decide whether their leaders will govern or posture for protests.
President Trump weighed in on television, saying of Schumer, “I think he made a mistake in going too far,” Trump said during the interview. “He thought he could break the Republicans, and the Republicans broke him.” That comment underlines how the shutdown drama has been used by both parties to score political points as the policy details remain contested.
https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/1987664398014677442
