'We are not defeated': 5 takeaways on what's ahead for Democrats in 2025 as Trump returns
The Democratic Party is grappling with a sense of confusion and loss following the crushing defeat to President-elect Donald Trump and his Republican allies in the 2024 elections. More than a month after the election results, the party finds itself at a crossroads, leaderless and uncertain about its future. With the White House and both chambers of Congress now under Republican control, the Democrats are searching for direction.
“We have no idea what’s going to happen next,” said Donna Brazile, a veteran Democratic strategist and former interim chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). “None of this has been in our playbook.”
At present, the Democratic Party lacks a unified strategy. The current leadership, represented mostly by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, has attempted to rally the base with words of encouragement. At a recent Democratic National Committee event for donors, Biden urged party members to stay resilient.
“My dad would say, when you get knocked down, you’ve just got to get up, get up,” said Biden, reflecting on his own departure from the 2024 race earlier this year at the request of major donors. “The measure of a person or a party is how fast they get up.”
Harris, who inherited the party’s presidential nomination from Biden and went on to suffer a loss in all seven swing states, also spoke to the crowd. “Our spirit is not defeated,” she said, trying to lift the morale of party faithful in the face of the party’s electoral struggles.
Key Challenges and Tasks Ahead
One of the most pressing tasks for the Democrats in 2025 will be choosing a new Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair to replace Jaime Harrison, who had signaled his intention to step down before the election. The race for this influential position will be a crucial moment for the party as it begins the difficult task of regrouping after its electoral loss.
The DNC chair, who is set to be elected at the upcoming winter meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, on February 1, will play a key role in shaping the party’s future. With no clear leader in the House, Senate, or the White House, the chair will serve as the primary face of the Democratic Party, leading the charge for the next two years, at least until the 2026 midterm elections. The individual who takes this role must not only be an effective messenger but also have strong organizational skills, including the ability to recruit candidates, build field operations, and raise significant campaign funds.
As of now, a number of candidates have emerged for the position, including Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party; Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party; former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley; and New York State Senator James Skoufis. Martin, an early front-runner, has received endorsements from more than 100 of the 448 DNC members who will vote on the next chair. He has argued that the party must improve its outreach, especially in nontraditional media spaces, in order to reach voters who don’t engage with traditional news outlets.
“We’ve got to do a better job reaching voters who don’t watch TV news,” Martin said in a December 17 post on X (formerly Twitter). “We need to be taking our message everywhere – from social media to podcasts to influencers and more.”
Calls for an Audit and Soul-Searching within the Party
In the aftermath of the 2024 loss, there have been calls within the party for a detailed examination of what went wrong. Some Democrats are advocating for an “autopsy,” similar to the post-2012 review the Republican National Committee conducted after their presidential loss to Barack Obama. Allied groups like Way to Win, a left-leaning donor hub and strategy think tank, have already begun releasing preliminary exit polls and plan to conduct a more thorough analysis in the coming weeks.
In a post-election memo, Way to Win argued that rising costs and a global backlash against incumbent politicians played a significant role in driving the voters that Trump targeted. It suggested that the Democratic Party failed to create a compelling narrative about why things still felt so difficult for many Americans, even as the economy improved.
“It’s not enough just to tell voters that the economy is better,” the memo stated. “We didn’t offer a clear villain for their continuing struggles.”
While some party members are calling for this detailed review, others, including Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), are cautioning against overanalyzing the loss. Khanna, a progressive lawmaker and former adviser to Harris, suggested that rather than a formal autopsy, the party should engage in a broader debate about how to better connect with voters. “Our party needs to be the party of free speech and a party that says we want to go in every forum and welcome ideas,” Khanna said. “We’re not going to judge people because they may disagree with us.”
The Future of Kamala Harris: A New Role on the Horizon?
Another area of interest within the party is what will become of Kamala Harris, who was handed the Democratic nomination with only three months left in the 2024 race. Since her loss in November, Harris has kept a relatively low profile, but she has made occasional remarks to her supporters, urging them to remain engaged and committed to the fight ahead.
“We must stay in the fight,” Harris said in a brief address to supporters last week. “No one can walk away.”
As the party contemplates its next steps, some wonder if Harris might pursue another presidential bid in the future. Others speculate that she could return to California politics, possibly running for governor. Regardless of what path she takes, her role in the party’s future remains uncertain.
Moving Forward: What Lies Ahead for Democrats
For now, the Democratic Party faces an uphill battle to rebuild and recover from the losses of 2024. With the Republican Party now firmly in control of the White House and Congress, Democrats will need to regroup, rethink their strategy, and find a way to reconnect with disillusioned voters. The race for DNC chair will be the first major test for the party as it navigates this uncertain future.
In the coming months, the Democratic Party will need to work quickly to solidify its leadership, identify its message for 2026, and ensure it is positioned to face the challenges ahead. Whether the party can bounce back in time to retake control in the midterms or whether internal divisions will continue to hamstring its efforts remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: The road to recovery will not be an easy one.