This group helped Pennsylvania Democrats flip the state house. Now its founders have launched a new policy forum in Philly.

Early Wednesday morning, a small group of lawmakers, Democratic Party strategists, and deep-pocketed donors raced up the Philadelphia Art Museum’s Rocky steps.

They were in town for a two-day convention marking the launch of the States Forum, a nonprofit with the goal of “policy innovation” and founders already known for helping Democrats notch important wins in Harrisburg through a separate initiative called the States Project.

Pennsylvania Democrats began working with the States Project and its founders, former New York legislator Daniel Squadron and business owner Adam Pritzker, when they were “deep down in the minority,” speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Joanna McClinton said in a speech Tuesday evening.

Since winning their narrow majority, Democrats have pushed through liberal initiatives, including the establishment of a Black Maternal Health Caucus, and the expansion of property tax and rent rebates for Pennsylvania seniors, she noted.

Without Squadron and Pritzker, she said, “none of these things would be possible.”

With their new initiative, Squadron and Pritzker, who is a relative of Illinois governor JB Pritzker, say their goal is to achieve “the American promise” of representative democracy, effective government, and personal freedom through state-level policy.

Leading up to the event, organizers were tight-lipped. The nonprofit’s online presence was limited to an “about us” statement and a mailing list sign-up on an otherwise empty website, blank YouTube and Substack accounts, and an X profile promising more updates soon. While welcoming attendees to Tuesday night’s programming, Squadron poked fun at the secrecy.

“Thank you all again for being here, this is an incredible group. And I know many of you are wondering just what the hell “here” is,” he said.

Democrats have been in unfamiliar territory since President Donald Trump first took power in 2016 and made clear that the party had lost voters it had depended on for decades. In 2017, Pritzker and Squadron launched the States Project to help Democrats win — and maintain — state legislative majorities.

And since 2020, the group has backed candidates in Pennsylvania. In 2022, the organization reported it was the largest single investor in caucuses and candidates for the Pennsylvania house, spending 80 times more than the next largest contributor. The group claims partial credit for helping Democrats win a one-seat majority.

That year, the States Project funneled a total of nearly $60 million into state legislative races in five states, according to The New York Times. In 2024, they invested $70 million in state legislative efforts across 10 states, including Pennsylvania.

Although the States Project and the States Forum share the same founders, they are legally separate entities with distinct mandates: The States Project helps elect Democrats to state legislatures while the States Forum intends to formulate policy plans for use by state lawmakers once they win.

“With this foundation we can prototype innovative policy frameworks and we can make it easier for lawmakers and governors to evaluate what delivers real results to their constituents,” Pritzker said.

The launch event in Philadelphia also marked the debut of the inaugural issue of the Forum’s policy journal, which features articles by contributors including former chief of staff to Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) Adam Jentleson, who has become one of the senator’s loudest critics.

As attendees dined on Caesar salads Tuesday evening, Gov. Josh Shapiro called out “chaos” in Washington, D.C.

“The bill that they’ve passed, this new law in our country is going to place an even greater burden on the work we do in state legislatures all across the country,” he said, referring to Trump’s budget bill. Shapiro has said the spending plan threatens the state’s ability to operate Medicaid because of its cuts in federal support for the state-administered program.

Shapiro, who is rumored to be a potential contender for president in 2028, will run for reelection in 2026.

The governor has repeatedly fought the federal government over funding freezes and cuts. In his speech, he cited his numerous lawsuits against the Trump administration, saying “I’m 6 - 0 and he’s 0-6. And Pennsylvania’s gotten every single dollar.”

“We in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania are serving as the bulwark of democracy,” he added.

But aside from a few other references to the Trump administration, the event’s focus remained firmly on state legislatures.

“These debates must happen with a much smaller focus on Washington, D.C.,” Squadron said, “and a greater focus on the states.”