DENVER — Democrats are heading to Denver this week to celebrate their midterm wins and, in the same breath, admit an uncomfortable truth: they don't have a frontrunner for 2028.
Fresh off what the Associated Press described as the party's best electoral performance in half a century, Democratic officials and strategists will converge on Denver starting Thursday for a two-day conference hosted by a new group called Majority Democrats. The gathering, dubbed the "What's Next" conference, was scheduled months before the midterms as a stepping stone out of the party's post-2024 political wilderness, according to the AP.
The lineup is a who's-who of potential presidential hopefuls: former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Texas Sen.-elect James Talarico, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, California Rep. Ro Khanna and former Obama advisor David Axelrod. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the likely next House speaker, is also on the speaker list — a detail that has engendered suspicion among some on the left who continue to target the party's Washington power structure, the AP reported.
The conference is not an official Democratic Party event. It is hosted by Majority Democrats, a group led by Massachusetts Rep. Jake Auchincloss, and billed as an "independent, outsider conversation" about the party's future. Lis Smith, a longtime Democratic strategist and veteran of several presidential campaigns, serves as a senior adviser to the group.
"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what it means to be a Democrat, and our party can't afford to squander it," Smith said, according to the AP.
Organizers describe the gathering as a chance to assess the 2026 results and discuss the leaders, ideas and debates that could shape the party through 2028 and beyond. The conference includes victorious candidates from the midterms, such as Talarico and Iowa Sen.-elect Josh Turek.
But the event also exposes the party's central problem: after winning control of both chambers of Congress and many usually red state Houses — running on affordability and healthcare — Democrats still face questions about how to unite their progressive and moderate wings, and who will lead them into the next presidential cycle.
Denver's mayor, Mike Johnston, will kick off the festivities Thursday. The city remains in the hunt for the party's 2028 convention after last hosting one in 2008, and is selling itself as a modern example of a purple state turning solid blue, the AP reported.
The group seeks to bridge the traditional left-center splits that have riven the party for years, particularly since the 2024 election that returned President Donald Trump to the White House. It positions itself as the voice of a new generation of party leaders tired of old ideological and establishment battles, and the speaker list skews noticeably young.
Party leaders have pledged to lower costs, improve government services and investigate the Trump administration. But the Denver gathering makes clear that the party's direction remains up for grabs — and the jockeying for 2028 has already begun.
Our Take
So let's get this straight: Democrats are throwing a party in Denver to celebrate victories that haven't even been officially certified in some places, and the headline coming out of it is that they have no idea who their 2028 presidential nominee will be. That's not a victory lap — that's a warning sign.
They just won control of Congress, or so they say, and yet the entire conference is a beauty pageant for a group of candidates who couldn't beat Donald Trump in 2024 and are now auditioning to try again. Pete Buttigieg, Josh Shapiro, Cory Booker — these are the same faces who spent the last two years telling Americans the border was fine, inflation was temporary, and the Biden administration was sharp as a tack. Now they want a promotion?
And notice who's missing from the conversation: any mention of the actual policies that won them the midterms. They ran on affordability and healthcare, but the minute they get together, it's all about identity politics and generational warfare. Hakeem Jeffries is already making the rounds promising to bring back deported Dreamers and hand out "remedial assistance" to people who were here illegally, according to Fox News. That's the agenda they're pushing while Americans are still struggling to pay for groceries.
Here's the truth: the Democratic Party is leaderless, rudderless, and desperate. They have no frontrunner because no one actually believes in anything enough to lead. They're a coalition of grievances looking for a face. And while they're in Denver raising money and taking selfies, President Trump and the America First movement are actually governing — securing the border, cutting regulations, and putting American workers first.
So go ahead, Democrats. Have your little conference. Debate your future. But the rest of us will be watching as you try to sell the same failed ideas with a new coat of paint. The question is: do you really think Americans are buying it again?
