Message From the Chair: December 2025

The 2025 general election was a historic feat for the Democratic Party across the country.

State assemblyman and mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, pulled off a huge upset in New York City; Representative Abigail Spanberger won Virginia’s gubernatorial race by nearly 15 points, and her coattails expanded the Democratic majority in the state house of delegates to its largest in 40 years; and Representative Mikie Sherrill trounced her opponent to become the next governor of New Jersey.

Political pundits are going to analyze these elections and argue on national television over which campaign is the best model for Democrats to apply in the 2026 midterms. Should Democrats move further to the left and take up Democratic socialism, as seen in the Big Apple? Or should they recruit moderate candidates like Spanberger and Sherrill?

This progressive-versus-moderate binary is the wrong way to conjure a Democratic strategy for next year because it is both counterproductive and alienating. To win unified control of Congress in 2026, Democrats need to expand the map of where they can compete. And to that, they need to lean into what is sometimes their biggest source of infighting– their ideological diversity.

Rather than forcing one candidate mold onto a geographically and culturally diverse country, Democrats should let their regional bases pick nominees who reflect their communities. Take, for example, the success of the party’s governors.

In 2017, there were only 16 Democratic governors. Since then, environmentalists and a Trump antagonist have taken the helm on the West Coast. Across the Rust Belt, a band of economic populists is empowering organized labor and initiating programs like universal childcare and school meals. Meanwhile, in historically red states like Kansas and Kentucky, voters are electing soft-spoken moderates focused on delivering strong economies, accessible healthcare, and better schools.

Altogether, the Democratic Governors Association’s acceptance of regional distinctiveness is why the party will hold 24 governorships come January. This growth demonstrates that the party’s ideological diversity is a strength, not a liability. It enables the party to appease internal factions, widen the tent, and compete in more districts.

Looking ahead to 2026, Democrats don’t need to move left or right to regain control of Congress. They need to shift in the direction that best suits each constituency. Admittedly, this can produce caucuses that seem dysfunctional at times. However, given the widespread frustration with the current administration, I am confident that Democrats will find unity in their resistance to President Trump.

Best,

Kelm Lear

Chair

Looking ahead to 2026.