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Earlier this month, the Democratic Party had one of the most resounding victories in modern American politics. Democratic candidates swept both gubernatorial races, with the party also having a wave of more progressive candidates defeating center-left opponents in mayoral elections across the country.

The party gained supermajorities in the New Jersey and Virginia state legislatures while also breaking the GOP’s supermajority in Mississippi. California Democrats were able to rally their base in support of federal redistricting in a race that was largely shaped as a referendum on President Donald Trump.

Under a week later, this momentum disappeared.

Eight Senate Democrats broke away from the party to end the longest government shutdown in American history, without any of the compromises Democrats had fought for throughout the shutdown’s duration. This was met with rage from both Democratic voters and high-profile Democratic politicians, primarily directed at Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer.

Graham Platner, a controversial Democratic candidate in Maine’s Senate race, released a video calling for Schumer to step down. The fact that Democratic candidates for Senate lack confidence in the Senate’s Democratic leader further embodies the lack of unity within the party.

With no sitting president, no leading presidential candidates and waning faith in congressional leaders, the Democrats are currently without a voice.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris was the only candidate to receive over 10% of the vote, largely carried by her being the Democratic nominee in last year’s election.

But aside from a press tour for her recent book, she’s been almost radio silent since her election loss, and it’s unclear whether voters will welcome her back with open arms.

This vacancy gives the Democratic Party an interesting opportunity to look in their previous playbook for a way forward. With the 2028 presidential election cycle kicking up, we’re also nearing the 20th anniversary of the 2008 election. Former President Barack Obama’s winning campaign was emblematic of a political movement centered around the ideas of change and hope, with the goal of taking the country in a different direction.

Looking at the way many Democrats have approached the last year, it’s easy to see that many are itching to throw their support behind a similar political movement. It’s estimated that upwards of seven million people attended October’s “No Kings” protests, which would make it one of the largest single-day demonstrations in American history.

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New York City mayoral-elect Zohran Mamdani generated so much energy in his primary campaign that the New York Times christened it “Mamdani Mania.” When Sen. Cory Booker delivered the longest marathon speech in Senate history earlier this year, it was met by the most successful fundraising quarter of his political career.

The circumstances are right for a Democratic candidate to catch fire heading into the 2028 primaries, and if the party wants to secure a resounding win that establishes a new direction following last year’s disastrous loss, the key component is energy.

While Democratic infighting is healthy to ensure the party can represent the various perspectives of its voters, it’s more important for anyone who considers themselves a Democrat to be able to agree and stay unified when it counts most.

When a presidential nominee is chosen, it’s important for more moderate Democrats to avoid punching left, and more progressive Democrats should try to avoid anything to the extent of last year’s “Uncommitted” movement. Although disharmony is healthy, there shouldn’t be an active effort made to project that on such a massive stage.

The ideal scenario for Democrats is creating a massive tidal wave of support for their nominee, which anyone who wants to get involved could do with volunteering, donating or canvassing. The primary lesson to learn from the past decade of Democratic infighting is that the greatest chance of legitimate success comes from a “win first, ask questions later” mindset.

The biggest bursts of energy for Democrats this year have come from taking the fight to Republicans, and when party leadership has refused to fight or has given in, there’s been a noticeable drop in the energy.

When the opportunities come to reclaim legislative power next year and executive power three years from now, the party’s objective should be building as much momentum as possible. Otherwise, Democrats will find themselves in the same fractured state they are in now.

Kevin Deegan is a freshman studying journalism. He can be reached at krdeegan@syr.edu.

Published on November 17, 2025 at 10:20 pm