For Democrats to Win Again, They Must Learn to Lead from the Middle

Lyndon B. Johnson said about advocating for civil rights reform as a Texas Representative, “I couldn’t get too far ahead of my voters.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an ambitious, forward-thinking individual. However, she should heed this advice. In 2024, Democrats lost every swing state and the popular vote. AOC, as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, needs to moderate her policies to gain a broader appeal and have any chance at wielding the power of the President.

In key states, 9-in-10 voters believe the rising debt is a critical campaign issue, and 3-in-4 voters say they want candidates to discuss the debt and their plans to address it—Michael Peters, CEO of the Peterson Foundation, found that voters’ “key economic priorities” include inflation, and securing programs like Medicare and Social Security. In a post-election poll, one-third of swing-state Trump voters cited the economy as the primary reason they voted for him, and 86 percent of Trump voters expected his presidency to improve their finances. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that Harris’s plan would increase the debt by $3.5 trillion over the next decade. Furthermore, when Democrats controlled both Houses of Congress, the deficit increased from pre-pandemic levels of $779 billion in 2018 to $1.7 trillion in 2023. Democrats need to combat the narrative that they are the party of waste and overspending, and AOC needs to present a plan for dealing with the deficit.

A Cato Poll found that most voters in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan think the US is “too involved” in foreign conflicts and would not vote for candidates who do not align with their opinions on foreign policy. This favors her because she is a non-interventionist and has consistently opposed the “Monroe Doctrine,” however, she has voted for significant aid packages to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion. Furthermore, according to the Washington Post-Schar School Poll, 6-in-10 swing state voters supported mass deportation. She should adopt moderate policies on immigration and avoid demonizing Trump supporters—she needs Trump voters and undecideds to win. For example, AOC has endorsed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as a “uniter.” However, during a commencement speech at the University of Minnesota Law School, he said ICE was “Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo,” and AOC has actively led the “Abolish ICE” movement. These are not winning policies or rhetoric to gain support from swing states or moderate Democrats.

According to the Youth Battleground State Poll, 40 percent of 18-34-year-old voters said they would only support candidates that address climate change. This contributes to her appeal because she has supported and sponsored legislation addressing climate change. For example, Rep. AOC sponsored the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act, which funds public housing and transitions to zero-carbon homes. Furthermore, the majority of voters in Battleground States oppose defunding the Department of Education and repealing the Affordable Care Act. Trump supported the “Responsible Path to Full Obamacare Repeal Act,” which would repeal the ACA, and directed the Education Secretary to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education.

According to Pew research, a majority of Americans “always or often feel angry when thinking about politics,” 84 percent believe that political debate has become less respectful, and 57 percent say that partisan disagreements receive too much attention. This is a problem for AOC. She has, more than other representatives, launched attacks against the Republicans and Trump. AOC proclaimed that “there are legitimate white supremacist sympathizers that sit at heart and at the core of the Republican caucus” and the “right-wing… prey on racism, bigotry, anti-trans panic, and fear.” She has also aligned herself with Congresswomen like Ilhan Omar—Representative Omar has compared the US’ actions in Israel to the actions of terrorist organizations like Hamas or the Taliban and has repeated anti-Semitic tropes like questioning Jews’ loyalty to America. AOC and Representative Omar are also members of “the Squad,” a group of progressive democrats who supported the “defund the police” movement. She needs to tone down her extreme partisanship, stop resorting to demagoguery, and disassociate from far-left Representatives. Accusing Republicans and Trump of being racists and white supremacists alienates Trump voters, undecided voters, and even moderate Democrats.

Democrats have received less support from African Americans in recent years. Economic concerns, such as wealth inequality and job opportunities, as well as the issue of police reform, could contribute to this. African Americans are still disproportionately represented in the lower-income brackets and affected by police violence and higher rates of incarceration. AOC cannot take the black vote for granted and needs to address these issues and evaluate why Democratic support has dwindled among Black voters.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has won four elections in the 14th District of New York—gaining 64 percent of the vote in her campaign against Republican Anthony Pappas. However, 70 percent of voters in the 14th District are Democrat-affiliated. In a national election, she must appeal to a more diverse electorate—moderate democrats, the far left, and undecideds. AOC should focus on the economy and climate change, rely less on extreme partisan appeals, advocate for a non-interventionist foreign policy, adopt more moderate views on immigration, and attack the Republican agenda (like efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act).

Luke Harris is an op-ed author who writes about the US, UK, and international politics, policy, and culture. He has been published in outlets like the North American Anglican and the Conservative Woman.