Democratic Group Offers Lessons for Party After Trump's 2024 Win

Prominent Democratic PAC shares feedback from over 100 battleground voters on how to connect with disillusioned supporters.

Feb. 20, 2026 at 11:05pm

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A prominent Democratic group, MD PAC, has released a 'Baseline Report' based on in-depth interviews and focus groups with over 100 voters from battleground House districts and states. The report aims to help Democrats understand how to better connect with voters who supported Joe Biden in 2020 but either voted for Donald Trump or stayed home in 2024. The report suggests that Democrats can come across as condescending and elitist, and that candidates don't need to take specific policy positions but should communicate directly, authentically and with empathy.

Why it matters

The 2024 election saw Trump and Republicans win over a larger share of economically vulnerable voters without college degrees, highlighting the Democratic Party's disconnect with the concerns of these key constituencies. This report offers insights that could help the party better understand and address the frustrations of these voters ahead of future elections.

The details

The report, produced by the political action committee Majority Democrats, is based on feedback from over 100 voters in battleground House districts and states. Voters expressed a sense of exhaustion and feeling 'unseen, unheard, and unrepresented by the federal government.' They view both parties skeptically and feel economic strain, fearing 'the floor could drop at any time.' The report does not recommend specific policy positions, but suggests Democrats need to communicate more directly, authentically and with empathy to connect with these voters.

  • The report was released in February 2026.

The players

MD PAC

A political action committee working to reshape the Democratic Party.

Majority Democrats

One of several groups working with candidates to remake and redefine the party's image ahead of the midterms.

Lis Smith

A senior adviser to Majority Democrats.

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What they’re saying

“It's not exactly a state secret that something went very wrong for Democrats in 2024. The responsible thing isn't to bury our heads in the sand, it's to figure out how to win their votes so we can move forward.”

— Lis Smith, Senior Adviser, Majority Democrats (ABC News)

“When voters were overwhelmingly telling us Joe Biden was too old to run for reelection, the Democratic powers that be responded, 'Don't believe your lying eyes.'”

— Lis Smith, Senior Adviser, Majority Democrats (ABC News)

“Democrats came off too often as defenders of the status quo. That missed the mark, and going forward what we recommend is that Democrats understand the real, deep frustrations with economic and political systems.”

— Lis Smith, Senior Adviser, Majority Democrats (ABC News)

The takeaway

This report highlights the Democratic Party's disconnect with economically vulnerable voters without college degrees, a key constituency that swung towards Trump and the Republicans in 2024. To win back these voters, the party will need to communicate more directly, authentically and with empathy, addressing their real frustrations with the economic and political systems rather than defending the status quo.