Midterms 2026: the Democrats' last stand against Trump

The Democrats ought to engage the public on what they would do about immigration once back in power by taking several measures, including: reuniting separated families and providing support and services to address trauma, streamlining and modernizing the legal immigration process to reduce backlogs, restoring protections for DACA recipients and creating a pathway to citizenship, engaging with international partners to rebuild the US's reputation for human rights, and providing a legal pathway and worker visas to meet labor market needs and reduce shortages. This country was built on the multifaceted contributions of immigrants from all corners of the world, which made America great and unique, and it should continue to respect that heritage.

Acting on an issue-based agenda

It will be an uphill battle for the Democrats to regain power, as the odds have been stacked against the party for many years. According to the New York Times, "The Democratic Party is hemorrhaging voters long before they even go to the polls. Of the 30 states that track voter registration by political party, Democrats lost ground to Republicans in every single one between the 2020 and 2024 elections - and often by a lot. That four-year swing toward the Republicans adds up to 4.5 million voters, a deep political hole that could take years for Democrats to climb out from."

For this reason, the Democrats have no time to spare; they must regroup and act on issues that are not necessarily left-leaning but popular and that the public needs, even if they fall outside the traditional Democratic party policies. Conversely, the Democrats should remain true to specific public programs considered "leftist." This would include a universal healthcare program, investment in infrastructure projects that appeal to a broad range of voters, and creating jobs while addressing climate change.

The Democrats should also embrace centrist programs, including expanding affordable housing initiatives, a private partnership to build more middle-income housing, and easing the affordability crisis in cities and suburbs. To further widen the Democrats' public appeal, they should also embrace vocational training and apprenticeships to boost employment without expanding government programs, and enhance border security in conjunction with streamlining legal immigration reforms.

By 2026, Gen Z and Millennials will make up nearly half of eligible voters. These are the most diverse generations, and they lean progressive on key issues. They consume most of their news online and are disproportionately vulnerable to AI-generated disinformation on social media. Democrats must build rapid response teams, track propaganda, and educate voters to recognize and resist manipulated content.

Finally, Trump, who is concerned that the Republicans may lose the House of Representatives in next year's midterm elections, asked Texas Governor Greg Abbott to redraw the state's electoral map to gain 4-5 additional seats for the GOP. Blue states like Illinois and New York should follow Newsom's move to redistrict their state in retaliation. The California state Legislature already sent two redistricting bills to Newsom, which he signed on Thursday. Together they would offset, if not exceed, any gain that Texas might reap from redistricting. Moreover, the Democrats will have to be ready to challenge Trump's pending executive order to ban voting by mail, which favors Democrats, but mainly because voting by mail falls under the purview of the States.

To be sure, the Democrats must build on the growing public discontent with Trump's policies, which are tearing this country apart. The midterm elections offer a golden opportunity to flip at least one of the Congressional chambers to stop Trump in his tracks. Failing to do so would be at the Democrats' peril.