On November 6th, 2024, I woke up with a pit in my stomach. The night before, I had witnessed history as Donald Trump once again won the presidency, becoming the first felon to hold the office of President of the United States. All the hope I had found in Kamala Harris’ campaign vanished. In the blink of an eye, the relative peace I had experienced during former President Biden’s term was gone. I found myself afraid for a future in which there were no expectations of decency for our leaders, who could win with sexual assault, bribery, misappropriation of charity funds, and more attached to their name.Â
That was not the case on November 5th, 2025, one day after elections for swaths of positions were held throughout the United States. In Virginia, Democratic candidates swept their races, with Abigail Spanberger becoming the first female governor of the state. Californians resolutely voted to pass Prop 50, a gerrymandering proposal that would negate the five additional Republican seats the Texas state legislature had created at President Trump’s behest earlier in the year. And, in the New York City mayoral race that became a worldwide phenomenon, Zohran Mamdani defeated Democrat-turned-independent Andrew Cuomo, becoming the first Muslim and South Asian leader of the Big Apple.Â
These wins were huge for democracy, indicating a broadening support for progressive policies. However, what were arguably more important were the smaller, less publicized wins in more conservative states. In Mississippi, Democrats broke the GOP supermajority in the state Senate. Pennsylvania, which decided President Trump’s 2024 victory, retained three Democratic state Supreme Court justices, and the party made sweeping victories in bellwether counties that had voted red in 2024.Â
These victories by no means solidify that a 2028 presidential victory is in the cards for the Democratic Party. It does suggest, though, that there may be a shift occurring in how President Trump is thought of throughout the country. Though Democrats remain unpopular (they are currently rated at a dismal 37% in favorability), President Trump’s policies may be more so. His administration and party’s refusal to negotiate with Democrats to reopen the government caused SNAP benefits to expire, federal workers to go unpaid, and more. He has faced wide criticism for his refusal to release the Epstein files and for Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) brutality against migrants. Although there are undoubtedly solidly Republican voters, just like there are in the Democratic Party, there has been distinct, marked disapproval with how the present administration has handled several major issues, including the government shutdown.Â
In order to capitalize on their 2025 election success, the Democratic Party needs to double-down on applying the successful techniques that they observed. For instance, Mamdani was able to generate excitement for his campaign by directly interacting with his soon-to-be constituents in meaningful ways that didn’t feel “campaign-y.” Both he and Spanberger focused heavily on the cost-of-living crisis plaguing Americans, appealing to a set list of issues that faced their populaces in a real, pertinent way. Their clear-cut, ambitious agendas had well-thought out plans that they were able to clearly communicate to voters, aiding in their unprecedented success in the voting booth. If Democrats want to win in 2026 and beyond, they need to take the lessons learned from this successful, off-year election cycle and apply them to candidates who can win everywhere, not just in solidly-blue areas like New York City.