{"id":3275,"date":"2026-06-21T10:37:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T10:37:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275"},"modified":"2026-06-21T10:37:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T10:37:39","slug":"how-the-2026-primaries-are-reshaping-the-democratic-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275","title":{"rendered":"How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<div> <div>\n<button>\n<strong>\n<span><svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n<span>Summary<\/span>\n<\/strong>\n<span><svg><\/svg>\n<\/span>\n<span><svg><\/svg>\n<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Democratic primaries this year have become battles between progressive and centrist factions of the party.<\/li>\n<li>Progressive candidates are winning more races overall, especially in safe Democratic districts and mayoral contests.<\/li>\n<li>Centrist Democrats have prevailed in several governor&#8217;s races, including in New Jersey and California, where they defeated progressive challengers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<span>AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            The struggle over control of the Democratic Party\u2019s direction has roared to new heights this year, with New York\u2019s primary on Tuesday looming as the next major battlefield between left and center.\n    <\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3257\">When will Trump let Republican hopefuls make moves to succeed him?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n            From Maine to California, progressive and centrist forces have collided in an unusual, even unprecedented, number of primaries for local, state and congressional offices that have divided the party along ideological, and often generational, lines.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cThe formal party structure is getting weaker and outside groups are getting stronger,\u201d said Liam Kerr, co-founder of Welcome, a group working to support Democratic centrists, in a judgment echoed by many progressive activists. \u201cWe have not been in a place (before) where entire ecosystems of groups are effectively running parties within the parties in explicit, direct, factional warfare.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            These confrontations have not produced a knockout victory for either side. The left has helped propel Graham Platner to the Senate nomination in Maine and Zohran Mamdani to the mayoralty in New York City, while centrists have cheered the primary successes of Xavier Becerra in the California governor\u2019s race and Josh Turek in Iowa\u2019s Senate contest.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks to supporters during his election night gathering at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes on June 2, in Los Angeles, California.\" class=\"wp-image-3267\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d535b895ed58202da3552aa510cd4d85.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d535b895ed58202da3552aa510cd4d85.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d535b895ed58202da3552aa510cd4d85-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra speaks to supporters during his election night gathering at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes on June 2, in Los Angeles, California.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            On balance, though, the left so far has outpointed the center in these contests \u2014 an advantage it could widen if several Mamdani-endorsed congressional candidates win in New York, as is expected.  \u201cThis has been a banner year for progressive candidates and the progressive movement,\u201d said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, the political organization founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing a lot of grassroots electoral energy.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            In many ways, the left\u2019s success this year replays that of President Donald Trump\u2019s first term, when frustration over the Democratic congressional leadership\u2019s inability to more effectively resist him powered the 2018 victories of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the other three members of the left-wing \u201cSquad.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cWhen President Trump is actually in office and Democratic voters are more frustrated with their party\u2019s capabilities to block him, they go even further in the direction of the left,\u201d said David Wasserman, senior political analyst for the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter. \u201cIt\u2019s not coincidental that 2018 was the initial burst of the Squad and now we are seeing an expansion of it, to a degree we didn\u2019t in the intervening years.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            But Democratic centrists correctly point out that a significant majority of the successful progressive primary candidates are winning in safely Democratic areas. In the competitive seats that will decide control of the House and Senate, the party still largely relies on moderate nominees. And for those candidates, the left\u2019s rise even in safe seats could prove an unwelcome complication.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cThere\u2019s a difference between winning in a safe Democratic House district and being competitive nationally, and that\u2019s the tension within the party,\u201d said John Lawrence, who served as Rep. Nancy Pelosi\u2019s chief of staff while she was House speaker.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders at a stop on the\" class=\"wp-image-3268\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5e1437df6ed8e63631b39c3d4299fe7e-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5e1437df6ed8e63631b39c3d4299fe7e-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5e1437df6ed8e63631b39c3d4299fe7e-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5e1437df6ed8e63631b39c3d4299fe7e.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders at a stop on the &#8220;Fighting Oligarchy&#8221; tour in Bakersfield, California, on April 15, 2025.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Aude Guerrucci\/Reuters<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>\n<strong>How the party\u2019s left wing gained strength<\/strong>\n<\/h2>\n<p>\n            The Democratic Party has always been a coalition of disparate, even antagonistic factions. But the level of institutionalized conflict between left and center in Democratic primaries now is unprecedented. Michael Kazin, a Georgetown University historian and author of a history of the Democratic Party, \u201cWhat It Took to Win,\u201d said the rise of these proxy battles between groups on left and center reflects the declining influence of the formal state and national party organizations. \u201cThey are basically an empty shell, so everybody can jump in with their organization, their money and their supporters,\u201d Kazin said. \u201cThese battles <em>are<\/em> the party, much more than they used to be.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Both sides agree the infrastructure for waging this struggle is more developed on the left. Groups including Sanders\u2019 Our Revolution, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (affiliated with Sen. Elizabeth Warren), Justice Democrats (in spirit closest to Ocasio-Cortez and other members of the Squad), and Leaders We Deserve (founded by gun control activist David Hogg) have constructed a conveyor belt to identify, recruit, train and fund left-leaning candidates.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Geevarghese said the left\u2019s success in this year\u2019s primaries represents, in many cases, the culmination of years of support and investment in younger officeholders. \u201cThese are not candidates coming out of nowhere \u2014 a lot of these candidates have run for down-ballot offices and gained governing experience and are graduating up,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are seeing the maturation of the progressive movement.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Centrist groups \u2014 including the political action committees associated with Welcome, the \u201cBlue Dog\u201d and \u201cNew Democrat\u201d factions in the House and the recently formed group Majority Democrats \u2014 have not built nearly as much institutional strength. \u201cNot even close,\u201d Kerr said. \u201cThe modern activist left is effectively its own political party.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nithya Raman and Karen Bass.\" class=\"wp-image-3269\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bc77ff53454b8696d74faac35dd5a501.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bc77ff53454b8696d74faac35dd5a501.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bc77ff53454b8696d74faac35dd5a501-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Nithya Raman and Karen Bass.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Getty Images\/Reuters<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            This imbalance in capacity means progressive groups have intervened in far more primaries than the centrists. But each side can point to significant wins since Trump returned to office.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Several of the left\u2019s biggest victories have come in mayoral races, with democratic socialists Mamdani in New York and Katie Wilson in Seattle last year defeating centrist Democrats; in Los Angeles, progressive city councilmember Nithya Raman has reached this November\u2019s general election against Mayor Karen Bass.    In Washington, DC, democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George last week won the Democratic primary for mayor, which essentially guarantees her election in November.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            The centrist Democrats have performed best in governor contests. Mikie Sherrill soundly beat a progressive primary challenger en route to winning the New Jersey governorship last year; in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul quashed a left-flank challenge from her lieutenant governor before it ever got going. <strong>In Maine\u2019s ranked choice voting, Hannah Pingree last week beat two candidates somewhat to her left (and two somewhat to her right)<\/strong> <strong>for the gubernatorial nomination. <\/strong>Most dramatically, California\u2019s gubernatorial primary this month, former Rep. Becerra bested Tom Steyer, who spent over $200 million of his own money running as a sort of billionaire Bernie.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cWhat the California Democratic electorate overwhelmingly wanted is a normie Trump fighter,\u201d said Democratic strategist Sean Clegg, who worked on an independent expenditure campaign backing Becerra. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to run as the party of the status quo, but (voters said), \u2018Give me someone who will hold the center.\u2019 And it was hard to beat.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Democratic US Senate candidate for Texas James Talarico speaks during his primary election night party in Austin, Texas,on March 4.\" class=\"wp-image-3270\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f821c68be32cd8fd78377edd275a5df9.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f821c68be32cd8fd78377edd275a5df9.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/f821c68be32cd8fd78377edd275a5df9-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Democratic US Senate candidate for Texas James Talarico speaks during his primary election night party in Austin, Texas,on March 4.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Joel Angel Juarez\/Reuters<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            Progressives won the highest-profile Senate primary so far, in Maine, when Platner, an oyster farmer, routed Gov. Janet Mills, the choice of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Conversely, centrist Josh Turek, decisively beat progressive favorite Zach Wahls in Iowa. (In Texas, nominee James Talarico arguably angled somewhat more to the center than his opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, but the ideological lines weren\u2019t nearly as sharp.) Still to come are left vs. center Senate showdowns in August in Minnesota (where progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is slightly favored) and Michigan (where progressive Abdul El-Sayed and centrist Haley Stevens are closely matched); and a September race in Massachusetts (where centrist Rep. Seth Moulton is running uphill against liberal Sen. Ed Markey).\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            The results in House races tip the overall score toward the left. Centrists have beaten progressives in House races in California, Texas and North Carolina. But in California alone, progressives advanced in several other key House contests \u2014 including by beating an establishment-backed candidate for the right to oppose vulnerable Republican Rep. David Valadao. Progressive choices have also won hotly contested House primary races in New Jersey, Montana, Maine, Ohio and Pennsylvania districts that might have seemed unfavorable terrain.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cI don\u2019t think we are seeing a \u2018Bernie-crat\u2019 revolution, but we are seeing an uptick in anger among the Democratic base that is leading to progressive wins in unexpected places,\u201d Wasserman said.\n    <\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3243\">From New York to Seattle to DC, more cities are picking democratic socialist leaders<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n            Progressives are likely to secure more wins in Tuesday\u2019s New York primary. Mamdani has endorsed a slate of three very liberal House candidates, including former New York City comptroller Brad Lander, who appears likely to oust Rep. Daniel Goldman. In a nearby district, Democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier, another Mamdani pick, faces a tougher challenge to uproot Rep. Adriano Espaillat. One admirer has said that if Chevalier wins, she might instantly become \u201cthe most left-leaning member of Congress.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A person wears a Democrat donkey pin on September 21, 2018, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.\" class=\"wp-image-3271\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b25deb0e8fb27f4476352ef40c449333-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b25deb0e8fb27f4476352ef40c449333-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b25deb0e8fb27f4476352ef40c449333-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/b25deb0e8fb27f4476352ef40c449333.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>A person wears a Democrat donkey pin on September 21, 2018, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Mark Makela\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>\n<strong>Democratic voters are \u2018throwing out the playbook\u2019<\/strong>\n<\/h2>\n<p>\n            Several common policy ideas link this year\u2019s progressive candidates. Almost all of them support a Sanders-style Medicare for All takeover of the healthcare system and a Warren-style tax on wealth. Almost all call for abolishing and replacing the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Notably, the progressive candidates are emphasizing economic themes and mostly minimizing their discussion of polarizing social issues. \u201cCandidates are really speaking to people\u2019s material needs and vowing to fight to improve their standard of living,\u201d Geevarghese said.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Kerr agreed that a disciplined focus on economic issues \u2014 one that more closely echoes the messaging of Sanders\u2019 first presidential run \u2014 has been central to the left\u2019s successes this year. Progressive candidates, \u201care acting differently than they did in 2022,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019ve been more like Bernie 2016 than Bernie 2020: high economic populism and low \u2018woke.\u2019\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            By far, the most important non-economic issue for progressive candidates this year has been Israel\u2019s war in Gaza, along with AIPAC, the powerful US political group supporting it. Almost everywhere, mainstream Democrats have struggled to defend having accepted support from AIPAC and\/or having refused to break with former President Joe Biden\u2019s deference to Israel while it razed Gaza.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Some of these left-wing positions \u2014 such as the criticism of Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza and Biden\u2019s response to it \u2014 clearly represent consensus views in the Democratic Party. And hardly anyone disputes that on economic issues, Democratic officials and voters alike have shifted toward more populist positions. \u201cIt is absolutely true that the Democratic Party of today is much more the party of Bernie Sanders than Hillary Clinton on the economic side,\u201d said Democratic pollster Evan Roth Smith, who leads the Blueprint project, which studies underlying currents of public opinion.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during a news conference at the US Capitol on May 20 in Washington, DC.\" class=\"wp-image-3272\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/7905f39a47bc4045c47b3beada3b80c6.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/7905f39a47bc4045c47b3beada3b80c6.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/7905f39a47bc4045c47b3beada3b80c6-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during a news conference at the US Capitol on May 20 in Washington, DC.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Alex Wong\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            But Smith and other strategists aligned more with the party center say it would be a dangerous mistake for Democrats to conclude that the primary electorate, much less swing voters, want the party to move as far left as progressive candidates urge.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Smith argued the left is succeeding primarily because it appears more determined to fight Trump by whatever means necessary. \u201cThey are demonstrating to voters the intensity of their convictions\u2026 in a way the establishment party and current officeholders are not credible on,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThat is what the voters are rewarding more than any political ideology.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Democratic strategist Lis Smith is advising the centrist Majority Democrats as well as the Bench, a group focused on recruiting Democratic candidates from diverse backgrounds. She, too, believes Democratic voters are looking more for new approaches than for ideological fervor.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Democratic voters, she said, \u201cfeel Democrats were out of touch, they were too old, they didn\u2019t fight and they didn\u2019t know how to win races, so the end result of that is they are throwing out the playbook for what a traditional Democratic candidate looks like.\u201d In deep-blue districts, that impulse has propelled a turn toward left-leaning candidates, she said, \u201cbut in more swing districts it means people who don\u2019t have a traditional political resume.\u201d Across both kinds of seats, Smith added, \u201cI think the through line thus far (is that) the establishment lane is the weakest it has probably been for decades.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Democratic US Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks at his primary election event on June 9 in Blue Hill, Maine.\" class=\"wp-image-3273\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/650fb524835183200e1efb7388e24b4a-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/650fb524835183200e1efb7388e24b4a-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/650fb524835183200e1efb7388e24b4a-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/650fb524835183200e1efb7388e24b4a.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Democratic US Senate candidate Graham Platner speaks at his primary election event on June 9 in Blue Hill, Maine.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>CJ Gunther\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>\n<strong>How November\u2019s midterms may shape 2028<\/strong>\n<\/h2>\n<p>\n            Left and center acknowledge it won\u2019t be possible to render a final score on the Democrats\u2019 internal struggle until after the general election. While most of the progressive candidates are winning in primaries for safely Democratic House seats, some have been nominated in highly competitive races \u2014 including the Valadao House seat, a rural Trump-won Maine House district, and the Maine Senate contest between Platner and Republican Sen. Susan Collins.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            If progressive candidates lose those general elections, it will strengthen the centrist arguments that the left is weakening the party by running candidates who cannot win on competitive terrain.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Less easy to quantify but also critical to the final verdict will be assessments of how the increase in leftist nominees affects the electoral prospects of Democratic centrists. Evan Smith, the pollster, noted that Republicans have spent substantial sums in Democratic primaries this year to promote progressive candidates \u2014 in part so they can use them to negatively define the party even in swing districts where moderates are running.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            The ultimate judgment among Democrats about 2026\u2019s primary wars will likely ripple into 2028. After the 2018 campaign, the election of the Squad contributed to a widespread sense in the party that the best way for Democrats to beat Trump in 2020 was to match his polarizing agenda with a bold progressive agenda of their own.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"From left, Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., conduct a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center responding to negative comments by President Trump that were directed at the freshman House Democrats on July 15, 2019.\" class=\"wp-image-3274\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2b237a37ca3cbbc8ee0f00d7d4d4dc71.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2b237a37ca3cbbc8ee0f00d7d4d4dc71.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2b237a37ca3cbbc8ee0f00d7d4d4dc71-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>From left, Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., conduct a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center responding to negative comments by President Trump that were directed at the freshman House Democrats on July 15, 2019.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Tom Williams\/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            That belief exerted a magnetic pull leftward during the early stages of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary. Multiple candidates endorsed a single-payer healthcare plan, despite concerns about its huge price tag, and almost all of them raised their hands on debate stages to embrace very liberal immigration policies.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            But once the voting began in 2020, Democratic primary voters \u2014 particularly Black Democrats in South Carolina \u2014 grew increasingly concerned that approach would not beat Trump and rallied behind the candidate who had bent the least to that pressure and looked the most electable: Biden.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cI have no doubt the left will\u2026 say they are the ascendant wing and there will be presidential candidates in 2028 who feel the need to lurch leftward,\u201d said Lis Smith, who advised Pete Buttigieg in 2020. But, she continued, Democratic hopefuls should \u201clearn the lessons\u201d of 2020: \u201cWhat performs best in deep-blue districts and social media isn\u2019t always what wins elections, and isn\u2019t even always what performs best with the base.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            In reliably blue places, Democratic primary voters can support the most liberal candidates without worrying if they will win the general election. But in the races that will decide congressional control \u2014 let alone the next presidential nomination \u2014 even many liberal Democratic voters are likely to weigh their support for a progressive agenda against their overriding priority on choosing candidates who can beat Trump and his MAGA allies. For Democrats, in the races that count most, electability remains likely to trump ideology.\n    <\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3229\">What men should know about the US government\u2019s latest move on testosterone therapy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The struggle over control of the Democratic Party\u2019s direction has roared to new heights this year, with New York\u2019s primary on Tuesday looming as the next major battlefield between left and center.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party - Relocation Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party - Relocation Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The struggle over control of the Democratic Party\u2019s direction has roared to new heights this year, with New York\u2019s primary on Tuesday looming as the next major battlefield between left and center.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Relocation Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-21T10:37:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d535b895ed58202da3552aa510cd4d85.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be\"},\"headline\":\"How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-21T10:37:39+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275\"},\"wordCount\":2660,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/74b2185b508414bd013dc6c7c9135a81.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Politics\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275\",\"name\":\"How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party - Relocation Times\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/74b2185b508414bd013dc6c7c9135a81.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-21T10:37:39+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/74b2185b508414bd013dc6c7c9135a81.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/74b2185b508414bd013dc6c7c9135a81.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":450},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=3275#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Relocation Times\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party - Relocation Times","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party - Relocation Times","og_description":"The struggle over control of the Democratic Party\u2019s direction has roared to new heights this year, with New York\u2019s primary on Tuesday looming as the next major battlefield between left and center.","og_url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275","og_site_name":"Relocation Times","article_published_time":"2026-06-21T10:37:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":768,"height":512,"url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/d535b895ed58202da3552aa510cd4d85.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be"},"headline":"How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party","datePublished":"2026-06-21T10:37:39+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275"},"wordCount":2660,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/74b2185b508414bd013dc6c7c9135a81.jpg","articleSection":["Politics"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275","url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275","name":"How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party - Relocation Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/74b2185b508414bd013dc6c7c9135a81.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-21T10:37:39+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/74b2185b508414bd013dc6c7c9135a81.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/74b2185b508414bd013dc6c7c9135a81.jpg","width":800,"height":450},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=3275#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How the 2026 primaries are reshaping the Democratic Party"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/","name":"Relocation Times","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/relocationtimess.com"],"url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3275\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}