Democratic Divisions Threaten Party's Bid to Retake Congress

Democrats are aiming to wrest control of Congress from President Donald Trump's Republicans in November, but unresolved tensions from a hard-fought primary season are complicating that effort. In several competitive states, prominent party figures have either withheld endorsements or declined to appear alongside the nominees chosen for the November 3 midterm elections.

The strain is visible across multiple battlegrounds. In Maine, Governor Janet Mills has not endorsed Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson, a former state Senate president, even though the seat held by Republican Susan Collins is widely seen as the party's best chance to flip a Senate seat. Mills had previously sought the nomination herself. The state party pointed to turnout in its nominating process and grassroots energy as signs of unity, with executive director Devon Murphy-Anderson saying Maine Democrats are focused on winning in November.

In Texas, US Representative Jasmine Crockett has said she supports state Representative James Talarico, who defeated her in the Senate primary, but has repeatedly turned down his invitations to campaign together, including declining to introduce him at the state convention in June. Crockett has said she will concentrate on lower-profile races, arguing that doing so also helps Talarico's bid against Republican Ken Paxton.

Michigan has seen similar friction around Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive who narrowly leads Republican Mike Rogers in polling. While US Representative Haley Stevens offered her "full support" after their close primary and the two embraced at a unity breakfast, it remains unclear whether she will campaign with him. US Representative Hillary Scholten and state Senator Jeremy Moss, the Democratic nominee for a congressional seat, have not endorsed El-Sayed.

Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, argued that progressives face a double standard, saying the establishment does not fall in line behind progressive winners the way it expects progressives to do for others. Democratic consultant Rodell Mollineau countered that candidates who run against the party machinery and then seek its help are being somewhat disingenuous.

Divisions also surfaced on Capitol Hill this month when eight moderate Democrats joined Republicans in passing a resolution condemning socialism. New York democratic socialists Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, who are favored to win House seats after defeating establishment-backed rivals, criticized the move. Chevalier said the resolution targeted democratic socialists like her and called for a unified party that confronts corporate power and delivers for working people.

In Florida, Senate nominee Angie Nixon, a democratic socialist, defeated better-funded retired Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman by a double-digit margin in August. Vindman has said he will stand with her against Republican Senator Ashley Moody and has donated $825,000 to Democratic causes, including $400,000 to the state party. But Escambia County Democratic Party chair Derrick Scott said it is unclear whether state party chair Nikki Fried has fully backed Nixon. A party spokesperson disputed that characterization, noting Fried recently appeared with Nixon at a joint press conference and that the party is in frequent contact with her team.

US Representative Summer Lee, a progressive Pennsylvania Democrat seeking reelection, said all factions have a shared interest in getting every candidate across the finish line, warning that failure to unify and win at least one chamber would make all subsequent work harder.