In the aftermath of last year’s widespread election failures by the Democratic Party, California party activists gathered for this weekend’s annual conference struggled to reunite with voters who were traditionally part of their base, especially working-class Americans, while balancing their way of sticking to their values.
California’s progressive policies and its Democratic leaders were routinely abused by Republicans during the 2024 election, which was taken away by then-president and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Harris ultimately lost the election to Trump. This is because it reduces support for traditional democratic constituencies, including ethnic minorities and working-class voters.
“We were honest about what happened because losing the election has consequences,” Minnesota Governor’s running mate Tim Waltz said in a Saturday afternoon speech. “We’re in this confusion because it’s about us. …We can’t afford to avoid having a difficult conversation about what we need to win the election.”
A potential 2028 presidential candidate, Walz said there’s no need for Democrats to retreat from their ideals, including protecting the most vulnerable people in society, including trans children. But they need to show voters that they can do bold policies that improve the lives of voters rather than bringing progress.
“The Democrats, a working class party, have lost a huge mass of the working class,” he said. “That last election was a primitive cry in so many ways. Do something, do something, get up and make a difference.”
California is home to the nation’s most Democrats and the deepest out-of-pocket donors of many parties, making the state a popular place for presidential hopes from across the country.
In addition to the waltz, another 2028 White House nominee who addressed 4,000 representatives and guests at the Anaheim Convention Center was New Jersey Senator Collie Booker. Booker argued that Democrats must remember the courage of their ancestors who fought for citizens and vote rights, and that they must create a social safety net for the most vulnerable Americans who are trying to fight Trumpism.
“The real change isn’t from Washington. It comes from the community. It comes from the street,” he said in a Saturday morning speech. “People are greater than those in power.”
Harris, who weighs the governor’s run in 2026 and is also considered a potential presidential candidate for 2028, addressed the treaty on video. Gov. Gavin Newsom, also considered a White House candidate, did not appear at the conference.
Representative of Jane Baulch Enrow, a middle school teacher from Pleasant Hill in the Bay Area, said she is not sure if the liberalism of a particular brand of California will be sold on the national stage.
“I don’t know if California Democrats will be able to win the presidential election,” she said as she and her daughter organized the convention cafe’s stolen goods and campaign flyers. “California is considered crazy people. …I don’t mean that in a bad way – I know some people, but we do something different here.”
She said she learned from President Obama’s memoir, “The Audacity of Hope.” Most Americans “want the same thing” but said they talk about them differently and have different approaches to getting there. “We need to take people to our side and help us realize that we’re not just liberals, and we’re teaching people to people like healthcare for all union wages,” said Balkch Enrow, a California Democrat.
However, the 2028 presidential election was not the focus of this year’s California Democratic Treaty. Delegates were more concerned about the losses of the president and Congress last year, but California was a rare bright spot for the party, turning over three districts held by the GOP and preparing for next year’s midterm elections. Representatives hope that Democrats will take control of Congress and stop Trump from enacting his agenda.
Argez, the party’s Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus leader, said the party should sharpen its message on economic issues if it wants to have a chance to win in the upcoming election.
“When it comes to the issue of affordability, when it comes to economics, they are important to everyone, across the broad range of our alliance,” Aziz said. “And what really matters is that we focus on that economic message and how we can improve the quality of life for everyone in these midterm elections and future presidential elections.”
He said he was in France on his honeymoon recently, strolling around the grocery store and buying half a dozen eggs for 1.50 euros (valued to $1.70).
“If you look at a lot of our economy in California and in a lot of New York, they’re doing great things with all your accounts, GDP, the numbers you see,” he said. “But when it comes to the costs consumers pay at these locations, they’re so high and so much higher than in other countries, so everything is so expensive, that’s why it’s going to reduce the value they have in GDP.”
Some Democrats questioned the impact of weaponising California’s liberal policies, including defending trans rights to state voters on the battlefield in 2024.
But representatives and leaders of party leaders largely argued that the state should continue to exist as a pioneer in such issues.
“People like to point their fingers somewhere. I think California is an easy target, but I don’t agree,” said Melissa Taylor, president of the local Foothill Community Democrat. “I think California stands up for the value we believe in women’s rights, just as we believe in labor, we believe in healthcare, we believe in women’s rights, and we believe in LGBTQ people.”
Jodi Hicks, president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates in California, said issues such as access to reproductive medicine will also have economic consequences.
“We have to walk and bite gum at the same time,” she said, adding that the 2024 loss was likely driven by multiple factors, including Harris being just over three months after then-President Biden decided not to seek re-election.
“We’re going to analyze 2024 for a very long time,” Hicks said. “It was a very unique situation.”
Times staff writer Laura J. Nelson contributed to this report.
Source link
