Progressives Americans there was plenty to smile about on Wednesday morning as many of their top candidates scored big wins in the midterms.

The House Progressives had weathered critical competition and seemed poised to expand their influence. Dozens of progressive members of Congress won re-election, including candidates such as Angie Frank in Minnesota, where one of the most critical battles was expected.

In the Senate race, Democrat John Fetterman’s victory was another cause for celebration among Progressives, although Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor rejected the nomination.

In his post-win speech, Fetterman stressed the need to expand access to health care, even saying that quality health care saved his life when he suffered a stroke in May.

Several progressives said that young voters played a critical role in key elections. Leaders such as Bernie Sanders campaigned in the final days before the midterm elections to encourage young people to vote.

“The youth saved the elections”

Voters aged 18 to 29 voted for the Democrats by 28 points, according to an ABC News exit poll.

“Young people saved this election,” said Warsini Prakas, head of the youth climate movement Sunrise Movement, adding, among other things, that they have proven that Gen Z is an important constituency that she says can be “a mainstay of Democratic Party.”

As Democrats begin to prepare for the 2024 presidential election, Prakas is confident that the interests of young voters should be a top priority for the party.

“We are voting to fight the challenges our generation faces every day, such as the climate crisis, protecting our reproductive rights, and ending gun violence in our schools,” she explained. “The Democratic Party needs to understand this if they want to win.”

It is noted that the results were not entirely in favor of the Progressives, as some of their most important candidates lost to the Republicans. House candidate Michelle Vallejo was defeated in Texas, and Senate candidate Mandela Barnes lost in Wisconsin to Republican Ron Johnson.

On the whole, however, the Progressives won major victories and argued that their success was proof that candidates advocating positions such as raising the minimum wage and easing student debt could win the general election.

^{According to the Guardian}