By — Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-try-out-a-strange-new-emotion-at-post-midterms-whats-next-conference-hope Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Democrats try out a strange new emotion at post-midterms What's Next conference: hope Politics Nov 14, 2026 1:19 PM EST DENVER (AP) — When Democrats started planning a post-midterms conference in Denver months ago, political consultant Stephanie Valencia figured it would be more of the same — a bunch of strategists poring over the latest results and plotting a path forward in a country dominated by President Donald Trump. She never expected that her party would still be celebrating what they consider a dream election, where they won virtually every contested race, flipped U.S. Senate seats in Mississippi and South Carolina, turned Texas blue and won big majorities in Congress. "I did not expect to be coming here with so much hope," said Valencia, the co-founder of Equis, which researches Latino voters. "For the first time we can see the outlines of a post-Trump era." Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s…
Democrats try out a strange new emotion at post-midterms What's Next conference: hope
In short
High-profile figures such as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg encouraged attendees to capitalize on unexpected midterm momentum. Shapiro specifically challenged the party to pursue 370 Electoral College votes in the next presidential race. Despite the celebrations, sessions failed to produce a definitive economic strategy, leaving attendees concerned that election gains stemmed primarily from voter dissatisfaction with affordability and foreign conflicts.
Key points
- Unexpected election victories have energized Democratic leaders to seek ambitious nationa…: Unexpected election victories have energized Democratic leaders to seek ambitious national targets for future presidential campaigns.
- Recent electoral gains may reflect voter backlash against high prices and foreign wars ra…: Recent electoral gains may reflect voter backlash against high prices and foreign wars rather than enduring ideological support.
- Progressive protests during leadership speeches highlight persistent internal fractures o…: Progressive protests during leadership speeches highlight persistent internal fractures over core economic and environmental policies.