“We won races in places where we haven’t won in a long time, even in some places where we’ve never won,” said Colorado Rep. Jason Crow.
Democrats descended on Denver for a post-election conference on November 12, 2026.
Fresh from a landslide midterm victory that handed them sizable majorities in Congress, the party met to celebrate their wins and grapple with party strategy.
The What’s Next conference at the Mission Ballroom, hosted by the group Majority Democrats, drew thousands of lawmakers, strategists, organizers, and potential 2028 presidential contenders to the Colorado venue. Tensions surfaced over economic priorities, relations with the Trump administration, and the future direction of the party.
Progressives and Moderates Debate Party Policy Direction
Policy debates split the gathering between moderates and progressives.
The bigger the tent, the greater our chances are of achieving big things. It’s time to get along. pic.twitter.com/JMoQp61YMD
California Representative Ro Khanna urged the party to embrace a bolder agenda, including universal healthcare, a wealth tax, a $25 federal minimum wage, deep Pentagon cuts, and abolishing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to reporting by Reuters published on Yahoo News.
“I’m all for a big tent, but not a shallow one,” Khanna said at the event, as reported by The Boston Globe. “A big tent cannot mean that we water down principle for political expediency.”
Moderate voices argued for an approach focused on tangible results.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro contended that voters care primarily about whether Democrats can lower the costs of food, healthcare, and housing rather than ideological litmus tests.
“I think we are adequately politically traumatized by the last few cycles, so that we will not draw the wrong lessons from all of this,” former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during the event, as noted by NPR.
Approaching The Trump Administration
Speakers divided sharply over how to approach the remaining two years of President Donald Trump’s term.
James Talarico, the senator-elect from Texas, urged his party to cooperate with the administration to pass immediate relief for Americans.
I’m in Denver for the Majority Democrats PAC’s “What’s Next” conference, and I just passed a welcome party of protesters on a highway overpass with a giant big sign saying “No Schumer Coronation”
“We should make the final two years of his presidency the most productive of any presidency in American history,” Talarico said, according to Reuters.
“If slapping Trump’s name on it and putting it in gold letters would get it through — hell yes, I would do that,” Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Michigan Sen, said, according to OPB.
Other leaders urged caution in dealing with the executive branch.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill warned that the administration operates in bad faith, noting that negotiations often result in concessions without delivery.
“My advice to Sen. Talarico is if Trump wants to work with us, we will lay out the agenda, and he can sign it,” Sherrill said.
Party Leaders Clash over Regional Investment and Leadership
Intraparty frictions extended beyond policy to organizational focus and congressional leadership.
Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, criticized national leaders for failing to invest adequately in the South and in Black voters.
“When we say that Black voters are the base of our party, then I ask why are we not investing in a region of the country that on Tuesday night just proved everybody wrong of what is possible,” Clayton said.
The conference coincided with an internal challenge in Washington.
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland announced plans to challenge Senator Chuck Schumer of New York for the position of Senate majority leader in the new Congress.
Protesters gathered outside the Denver venue during the final sessions to demand climate action and a Green New Deal.
Potential 2028 presidential contenders continued laying the groundwork for future primary campaigns inside.
The gathering brought together lawmakers, strategists, pollsters, creators, organizers, staffers, and prospective presidential hopefuls to debate strategy following an electoral performance that surpassed expectations.
Panelists evaluated the road ahead while attendees discussed ideological divides within the party.
Organizers selected Denver because of Colorado’s political shift over preceding decades, transforming from reliably red to purple to blue through coalition building and institutional investment.
The event featured panels discussing voter priorities and necessary party changes, emphasizing the requirement to earn back public trust.
Potential 2028 presidential contenders participating in the sessions included Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, California Representative Ro Khanna, Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, and Iowa Senator-elect Josh Turek.
Speakers debated whether to embrace a bolder progressive agenda or lean toward the center when addressing rising costs for food, healthcare, and housing.
Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego emphasized that shifting voter patterns among Hispanic voters should not be mistaken for permanent loyalty, pointing to the necessity of appealing to Americans who measure wealth by weekly work hours through a down-to-earth brand of populism.
Earlier coverage: Democrats Take Congress as Trump Reacts to Midterm Defeat