Who are the Democrats running in the midterms, and where do they stand? Our US political reporters are live now to discuss the state of the Democrats, the party’s moderate and leftwing candidates and key races to watch
Sign up or sign in to post a question
NorthLondonIsRed asks: Since Zohran Mamdani’s election as NYC Mayor some Democratic leaders (Schumer, Jeffries) have kept their distance from him and the DSA, while others (Hochul, Harris, AOC, Sanders) have pushed for unity. As the party’s left wing gains national visibility ahead of the 2026 midterms will Democrats consolidate the way the GOP did under Trump — or will the centrist/progressive divide deepen into a functional three-party split?
David Smith says: I think they’ll be fine before the midterms. They will have progressives running in some districts and moderates in others, with anti-Trump sentiment as the glue holding them together. One exception might be Michigan, where many Democrats have got on board with progressive Abdul El-Sayed but some have not. After the midterms, however, there is potential for a split. If El-Sayed loses, there will be lots of finger pointing and claims that a progressive can’t win in 2028. But if El-Sayed and democratic socialists do well, it could be game on for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 2028.
Alice Speri: I don’t think this is going to be as much of an issue in the midterms. I think even Democrats who are unhappy about the DSA wins will prioritize defeating Republicans. I do think these tensions will be dominating the presidential primaries though and many are already gearing up for that. Third Way, a centrist Democratic group, announced a $15m effort to go to “war” against DSA. I don’t think that whatever unity Democrats manage to find in November will last.
