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

Report from Majority Democrats PAC suggests Democrats need to connect more authentically with economically vulnerable voters.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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A prominent Democratic group, Majority Democrats 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 Biden in 2020 but either voted for Trump or stayed home in 2024. The report suggests that Democrats can seem condescending and out-of-touch, and that to win over these voters, candidates need to communicate directly, authentically and with empathy, rather than focusing on specific policy positions.

Why it matters

The 2024 election saw Trump and Republicans win over a larger share of voters without college degrees, performing 4 points better than in 2020 among more economically vulnerable voters. This report from Majority Democrats provides insights into how the party can better connect with these voters and regain their support ahead of future elections.

The details

The report is based on in-depth interviews and focus groups with over 100 voters from battleground House districts and states. Across the cohort, voters shared a sense of exhaustion and emotional burnout, viewing both Democrats and Republicans skeptically and feeling 'unseen, unheard, and unrepresented by the federal government.' Voters expressed economic strain and a fear that 'the floor could drop at any time.' The report suggests that voters were not demanding ideological purity, but rather wanted to see politicians focus on issues that matter to them and show a willingness to disagree with their party.

  • The report was released on February 20, 2026.

The players

Majority Democrats

A political action committee working to reshape the Democratic Party.

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)

What’s next

The Majority Democrats PAC plans to work with candidates and campaigns to help them connect more authentically with economically vulnerable voters ahead of future elections.

The takeaway

This report from Majority Democrats highlights the need for the Democratic Party to better understand and address the real economic and political frustrations of voters, particularly those without college degrees, in order to regain their support and win future elections.