Democratic governors talk party's midterm strategy
Source: ABC News/AP
December 7, 2025, 7:23 PM
PHOENIX -- Democratic governors met this weekend in Arizona, looking to parlay last month’s big victories for the party in New Jersey and Virginia into campaigns for next year’s midterms, when a majority of governor's seats will be up for election.
Those elections helped Democrats zero in on what they see as a strategy to help grow their ranks in office and recover from big losses in 2024, when voters put Donald Trump back in the White House and gave Republicans majorities in both houses of Congress. The plan is to focus intently on making life more affordable, a message they hope will work even in some conservative-leaning states.
“We have to be laser focused on people’s everyday concerns and how hard life is right now for the American people,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, the new chairman of the Democratic Governors Association and a possible candidate for president in 2028. “Everybody wants the economy of tomorrow, but paying the bills today is absolutely critical."
He and other governors said Democrats can use the affordability message as a cudgel against Trump without making him the central focus of their campaigns. “Yes, we can judge a president, and we should judge this president,” Beshear said. "But we never judge those voters.”
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/democratic-governors-partys-midterm-strategy-focus-voters-pocketbook-128195464