Ken Martin says Democrats have great leverage after 2026 midterms

Opposition to Trump helped, but Martin says voters backed a positive vision

Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told NPR’s Morning Edition that the 2026 midterms gave Democrats leverage through their control of Congress and state governments. “I think the reality is we have great leverage here,” Martin said. He described the results as the party’s best in a century.

Martin characterized the election as a change election and said Americans sent a clear message about the leaders they sought: “This was a change election, and Americans sent a very clear message that they’re looking for leaders who are fighting for them, not just the wealthy and well-connected,” he said.

He said voters gave Democrats a mandate to address affordability, health care and what he called a “corrupt system” benefiting wealthy Americans. How Democrats turn those promises into policy remains an open question, with Trump still holding veto power.

Martin acknowledged that opposition to Trump helped drive the results but argued that voters also embraced Democrats’ message. “Our candidates across the board ran for something, not against something,” he said. “They gave people a sense of a positive vision of what Democrats would do while we’re in power.”

NPR’s election-night summary, filed under its “Elections” section, was headed “6 takeaways from Democrats’ big wave on election night.” Democrats won control of the Senate after flipping Republican-held seats in some of the nation’s most conservative states. The result was a dramatic reversal from 2024 and gave the party new power to challenge Trump.

The party also captured the House, key governorships and state legislatures. Those gains strengthened Democrats’ position for the final two years of Trump’s presidency, and state control formed part of the leverage Martin cited.

Martin tied his leverage claim to the party’s control of Congress and state governments. Separately, he said voters had given Democrats a mandate to address affordability, health care and what he called a “corrupt system” benefiting wealthy Americans.

Trump still held veto power, and how Democrats turn their promises into policy remains an open question. The leverage Martin described rested on control of Congress and state governments; how the mandate would be carried out was not settled.