Majority Democrats, a new group, seeks to bridge the party’s left-center splits
Democratic officials and strategists will converge on Denver starting Thursday for a two-day conference intended to plot a further course for the party and take stock of gains that left it in control of both chambers of Congress.
The gathering, called What’s Next, went onto politicos’ calendars months ago as another stepping stone while the party charted its way out of the political wilderness that followed its 2024 defeat and President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Attendees instead arrive holding governing power: majorities in the House and Senate and control of at least 12 new state legislative chambers, fresh off the party’s best electoral performance in half a century.
The host is a newly formed group, Majority Democrats, which seeks to bridge the traditional left-center splits that have divided the party for years, particularly since the 2024 election. The group positions itself as the voice of a new generation of party leaders tired of old ideological and establishment battles, and its speaker list skews noticeably young.
The schedule includes some of the midterms’ victorious candidates, such as Texas Sen.-elect James Talarico and Iowa Sen.-elect Josh Turek.
Also on the program are potential presidential hopefuls, among them former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro — a lineup of rising Democratic talent that makes the event a showcase for the party.
The program also features Hakeem Jeffries, the likely next speaker of the House. He has engendered suspicion among some on the party’s left who continue to target its Washington power structure.
The conference is also a showcase of sorts for Denver, which remains in the hunt for the party’s 2028 national convention after last hosting one in 2008.
The city is pitching itself as a modern example of a purple state turning solid blue, and its mayor, Mike Johnston, will kick off the festivities Thursday.