Several registered Democratic voters in Pennsylvania told the Washington Post on Wednesday that they feel like the party has become feeble and divided.
Almost all of the voters in the key battleground state interviewed by the Washington Post said they felt like the Democratic Party is rudderless and lacking strong leaders. The report comes as Democrats are seeking to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2026 midterms elections.
“Right now, there is no leader. There is no strong voice for the people as a whole,” Wayne R. Stewart, 69, a stained-glass artist in Philadelphia, told the Post.
Meanwhile, Julian Andaya, 26, a nonprofit worker in Philadelphia, told the outlet he thinks that Democrats are “powerless” and need to “do more.”
“I want them [Democrats] to do more,” Andaya said. “I feel like they are so powerless, and they make it seem like they’re on our level, right? But they’re literal legislators that are in charge of the budget and in charge of all these different things that are going on right now, and they’re just letting it happen.”
Moreover, several of the Pennsylvania Democratic voters were unable to confidently say what they think their party represents, according to the Post.
“It’s hard for me to say who they are, because I can’t tell who they’re even not, which is a bigger problem,” Matthew L. Kane, 32, a psychologist based in Horsham, told the Post.
Catelyn Vickers, 33, an assistant consultant in Downingtown, told the outlet she thinks that one of the Democratic Party’s current problems is being unable to “take a strong stance.”
“They [Democrats] get too lost in the outskirts, too afraid to lose voters, that they won’t take a strong stance and really say, ‘We are pro-this, anti-this,’ and take a hard-line approach, which Republicans really do well,” Vickers said.
A flurry of polls released this year have shown the Democratic Party is facing nosediving popularity among voters. Despite this, Democrats have repeatedly signaled confidence about their odds in the upcoming midterms.
The Democratic Party also lost many registered voters to the GOP between the 2020 and 2024 elections.
Carol Mejia, 28, a promotion and outreach manager for a local media arts center in Philadelphia, told the Post that Democrats act “helpless” and like “victims” instead of acting like strong “leaders.”
“Helpless, just like victims, acting like they’re victims of the situation, instead of acting as leaders that have power to change systems,” Mejia told the outlet.
Dianne Symes, 60, who does patient accounting at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, told the Post that the Democratic Party needs more “young blood” candidates.
“What I think they need to do is get rid of all those older people,” Symes told the outlet. “They need to retire, and we need some young blood. I think that’s what we need — young people.”
“We’re fractured. We don’t have a definitive message,” Michael Tucker, 69, a consultant in Philadelphia, told the Post.
Democrats have also been facing low enthusiasm among donors this year, with the Democratic National Committee trailing behind the GOP in fundraising this year. Additionally, liberal think tank Third Way recently released a memo urging Democratic Party members to avoid using “elitist” and “divisive” words and phrases that they warned may potentially isolate voters.
In the 2024 election, President Donald Trump won 50.4% of the vote in Pennsylvania, while former Vice President Kamala Harris gained 48.7% of the vote.
During the same election cycle Republican Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick unseated then-incumbent three-term Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, by a razor-thin margin of less than half of a percentage point. The state’s other senator is Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, a maverick who often breaks with his party and has been extensively criticized by many of the state’s Democratic voters.
While Pennsylvania does not have a Senate race during the 2026 midterms, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is eligible to run for reelection. Republican Pennsylvania State Treasurer Stacy Garrity has already announced a bid against him.
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