About The Part That Matters

The Part That Matters is a newsletter about where power lives, how democracy breaks, and what ordinary people can still do about it.

It was launched in June 2026 by Alex Rikleen after his campaign for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. The campaign ended. The work did not.

Alex is a father, a former history teacher and candidate, and a professional writer who travels Massachusetts listening to people talk about what they are experiencing in their lives, families, schools, workplaces, and communities. This newsletter connects those experiences to the systems, decisions, and power struggles shaping them.

Politics often feels distant, technical, or hard to follow. But the decisions being made in courts, Congress, statehouses, parties, and campaigns shape our rights, our money, our safety, and our ability to build something better.

The Part That Matters connects history, power, and the fights shaping our future - then gets to the part that matters: what is happening, why it matters, who it affects, and what we can do next.

Most posts will be free and public. Paid subscriptions, if you choose one, help support the time and work that make this project possible. Paid subscribers will also have access to Q&As, behind-the-scenes notes, and opportunities to help shape future topics. Paid subscriptions are not campaign contributions.

Subscribe to get new posts by email, follow the work, and stay connected to the fights ahead.