Democrats Have Won the Midterms, But Can They Keep It?

The nation has been slowly bleeding since the 2024 election, and voters made that clear to Republicans on November 3. Democrats won both chambers of Congress, and the AP Voter Poll gives them a sense of what voters expect. The AP reported that “roughly 4 in 10 voters said the economy was the top issue facing the country.” About half called government corruption crucial to their congressional vote. Now, amid the cheering and glimmer of hope, it’s time to ask what’s next.

Democrats have been vocal about investigating Trump’s inner circle in 2027. And rightfully so! In his Nov. 5 announcement, Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s office said he had “opened an inquiry into the $TRUMP cryptocurrency and World Liberty Financial Inc.” The White House denies wrongdoing. Congress should follow the evidence on the Trump family’s crypto ventures and scrutinize Pete Hegseth’s handling of the Iran war. The Justice Department says it released nearly 3.5 million pages of Epstein records by January 2026. Lawmakers should examine what was withheld and why, while protecting victims’ identities. Done well, that work could help Democrats heading into 2028. So how could they drop the ball?

The one thing I have to stress to Democrats in the new year is to be deliberate about fights that could divide the voters they just brought together. Trans rights are human rights and it should be the long term goal to enact inclusive policies that support them. But it's important to realize that voters also draw distinctions between specific policies. In its analysis of 2025 surveys, Pew Research Center found that 56% of U.S. adults favored protections from discrimination in jobs, housing and public spaces, while 66% favored rules requiring athletes to compete on teams matching their sex at birth.

My advice? Enforce the civil rights protections we already have and back local programs that make inclusion a reality. In Bostock v. Clayton County, the Supreme Court said that under Title VII, “An individual’s homosexuality or transgender status is not relevant to employment decisions.” Protecting people at work is a concrete place to start. Democrats should defend existing protections and think carefully about which new federal proposals they prioritize before 2028.

One group Democrats shouldn’t overlook is gun owners. President Trump still has veto power, however sweeping bans could push some voters away in 2028 even if they do not pass. Gun control is still a divided hot topic and significant movement in either direction may push away brand new democratic voters. The CDC recorded 15,364 firearm homicides in 2024, down from the 2021 peak. So we are moving in the right direction and further punishment of gun owners may be a double edge sword for democrats.

While I hold optimism for the next few years, I hope Democrats can reflect on their failures in 2016 and 2024 before we end up right back at square one. Listen to ALL of your constituents, or we may very well see a Republican comeback.