People Are “Terrified.” Mallory McMorrow Has a Democratic Blueprint for Hope

I have seen the Democratic Party’s future and its name is Mallory McMorrow. Millions of other people have also seen McMorrow, of course. Three years ago, she leapt from obscurity as a first-term Michigan state senator to become a viral and cable-news star by delivering a searing, heartfelt speech in the state capitol. During those remarks, McMorrow ripped an unfounded Republican attempt to brand her a pedophile and called out the broader right-wing campaign to demonize marginalized people.

Now 38 years old and the mother of a four-year-old daughter, McMorrow is on the verge of going national again—in two ways. The first arrives next week as a book, titled Hate Won’t Win, a part memoir, part how-to guide for despondent Democrats. The second push is in the works: A likely 2026 run for Michigan’s soon-to-be vacant US Senate seat.

McMorrow, whether in print or in conversation, is funny, sharp, principled, tough, and relatable—exactly the kind of young voice her party needs if it’s going to bounce back. Hmmm, which other youthful Democrat from the Upper Midwest with a distinctive name and a gift for communication rose rapidly from state senator to US Senator to the White House? McMorrow may or may not share that future trajectory, but in the meantime, she’s eager to talk about everything from her darkly humorous experience with alleged sexual harassment (“it was obscene and laughable”) to her ideas for how to take on President Donald Trump. “We have to be honest with people that it is bad right now,” McMorrow says in an interview with Vanity Fair, which has been edited for length and clarity. “But I would caution Democrats: Are you adding to that chaos or are you cutting through it in a way that’s helpful?”

Vanity Fair: The title of your book is Hate Won’t Win. I realize you chose it before November, but given the election results, do you want a do-over?

Mallory McMorrow: No. The title for me is about the long haul. This moment is certainly a step back, but I still believe fundamentally—and I had a town hall [recently] with a state representative that was at overflow capacity, people were standing in the hallway—and that to me indicates people really care and they’re not checked out. And so long as we all participate, then I think the title still stands.

What was the mood of the town hall?

People are paying attention, and they’re engaged, but they’re also terrified.

How is the national Democratic Party leadership doing in its response to President Donald Trump?

I think there’s a real vacuum and a real lack of leadership. We have to dig ourselves out of a hole because people do not trust Democrats right now. And then to see Democrats on the federal level looking for insidery, procedural moves to slow things down—it just is not enough. It’s not enough to stand behind a podium in front of the Capitol and talk about how Trump’s Cabinet picks are unqualified. What are you doing and why are you not in your community? Why are you not meeting with people? Why are you not having these local meetings where people actually are? What I’ve heard more than anything else is that people don’t just want [elected] Democrats to do something—people want to do it too. I had multiple people last night tell me, “What can I do to help?”

That is what I’m trying to do in my corner of the world, but I wish federal Democrats did a better job. It can’t just be, “Chip in five bucks.” Treat people with respect and like they’re actually a part of this with you and give them tangible things to do that would be helpful. People want to know how they can fight back. People are so sick and tired of politics and politicians and business as usual that the simple thing with Donald Trump—and this is not true for everybody who voted for him—but I think there are enough people who just want to blow the system up, and he’s the man to do it. And that’s what we’re seeing right now. But I think Democrats have a lot to learn about how we talk to people.

One theme of the book is you figuring out how to communicate in ways that reach voters.

When we see the budget that passed out of Congress, once again it’s tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. But it’s not just tax cuts—We pay for it. It’s our tax dollars that are being reappropriated to give Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg more money. That is a very visceral thing. We can’t talk about it in abstracts. It is the reverse Robin Hood and we should call that out. It’s stealing from the poor to give to the rich. And I don’t think that’s what a lot of people voted for, even people who voted for Donald Trump.