2 minPolitics
Democrats gather in Denver to chart 2028 course without frontrunner
Democrats gather in Denver for a three-day conference to debate the party's direction ahead of 2028, days after sweeping gains in the 2026 midterms and with no clear presidential frontrunner.
Democrats are holding a three-day conference in Denver to chart the party's direction ahead of 2028, even as the field of potential presidential contenders remains wide open. The gathering, titled "What's Next," is being organized by a group led by Representative Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., and is not an official Democratic Party event.
The conference comes after the party's sweeping victories in the 2026 midterm elections. Democrats are set to take control of both the House and the Senate in January, with gains that included flips in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina. Lis Smith, an adviser involved in the effort, argued that the results reflected opposition to President Trump more than enthusiasm for the Democratic Party itself, a distinction that shapes the debate now underway.
The stated aim of the meeting is to debate where the party should go before the next presidential cycle. Speakers listed for the event include Pete Buttigieg, Josh Shapiro, Cory Booker, Raphael Warnock and Elissa Slotkin, along with Colin Talarico, Mikie Sherrill, Abigail Spanberger, Ro Khanna and David Axelrod. Their presence reflects a party with a deep bench of potential national figures but no single candidate who has emerged as the clear frontrunner for 2028.
Organizers and participants have pointed to costs, healthcare and government services as the central issues the party intends to emphasize. The conference also raises an open question about how Democrats can bring together their progressive and moderate wings, a tension that has long defined internal party debates. The party has additionally pledged to pursue investigations of the Trump administration, a commitment that is likely to remain a defining feature of its message as the next presidential race takes shape.
Source: foxnews.com
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