Disillusionment in the Democratic Party

Evan Barker, a self-proclaimed lifelong Democrat from a union family in Kansas City, once actively campaigned for Barack Obama and later organized for Hillary Clinton. She had a reputation as a dedicated fundraiser and supporter of progressive candidates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. However, her recently released book, *Nothing Left*, chronicles her shift away from the party, ultimately leading her to vote for Donald Trump in 2024. In an exclusive excerpt, she explores how Democrats have failed to connect with voters in the Heartland.

On a cold night in March 2022, it hit me: the pressure from progressives was becoming too much to bear. It felt like the last straw.

“We can’t get those voters back. They’ve switched to Trump! The future belongs to young people of color!” Cristina Zintzún Ramirez exclaimed from the stage.

Internally, I thought, *What a fantastic strategy for re-electing Trump*, all while the predominantly white, affluent audience showered her with applause.

I found myself standing in front of Tom Steyer’s lavish mansion in an exclusive San Francisco neighborhood. Steyer, a billionaire and prominent Democratic donor, had previously run for president.

At that time, I was seven months pregnant.

Cristina, who I had collaborated with on a Texas Senate campaign, was now leading Tom Steyer’s organization, NextGen America—a significant youth-focused liberal group. Their mission was to mobilize millions of young voters, and they had the funds to support it.

From Tom’s front yard, the sight of the Golden Gate Bridge was stunning. As waiters passed around exquisite hors d’oeuvres, wine glasses tinkled in a celebratory atmosphere.

Eventually, Mr. Steyer’s wife took the microphone for a lengthy a cappella performance, cleverly reinterpreting Brandi Carlile’s song into a personal political anthem—though I couldn’t quite recall the original message.

With midterms approaching, Christina had invited me to this gathering aimed at connecting donors with her vision for the upcoming elections. I was still working at Left Rising and had become friends with Christina, who often stayed at my home and even attended my wedding.

I had heard Christina emphasize the importance of young people and the need to secure Texas. However, I was taken aback when she asserted there was no incentive to win back voters like my grandmother and uncle.

When I suggested investing in Missouri with a portion of Tom’s $60 million midterm budget, she simply laughed, saying, “Evan, we’re never going to Missouri.” I understood her meaning, but her dismissal stung.

Missouri was once a base for many loyal Democrats, while Texas hadn’t elected one since 1994. Progressives seemed fixated on flipping Texas instead of addressing the needs of states like Missouri.

Perhaps they’d given up, believing that only a demographic shift would save them in Texas, with young people of color as the key demographic. There seemed to be little thought about appealing to working-class voters who backed Trump, many of whom had left the party feeling ignored.

Interestingly, Democrats previously had a stronghold in states like Ohio and Missouri. The current struggles can be traced back to policies like NAFTA, which Bill Clinton signed into law, alienating working-class voters in the Midwest.

People back then who supported the Republican Party were largely from educated backgrounds, favorable to big business. But as trade policies hit hard, especially in the Rust Belt, the outlook shifted, with many feeling forgotten.

I once asked my uncle, a lifelong union member and construction worker, whether he felt the Democratic Party overlooked him. He chuckled, “Do they look down on me? They don’t see me at all!”

According to him, about 70% of their local union supported Trump now, admitting they were drawn to his charisma, even if they recognized he wouldn’t aid their union.

I often wonder if Christina and her peers realized they were alienating working-class men.

My father hailed from St. Joseph, Missouri, a town that once thrived but is now marked by decay. The impact of NAFTA hit families hard, with many losing manufacturing jobs they had relied on.

The political landscape changed sharply post-NAFTA. In 2000, Al Gore barely clinched victory in St. Joseph; by 2016, Trump won by a staggering 27 points, a clear indicator of shifting voter sentiments.

This shift reflects a wider trend of economic hardship and job loss, where Trump’s promise to revive manufacturing resonated powerfully.

However, the alienation went beyond economics—it was also cultural. Identity politics, immigration, and policies surrounding women’s sports seemed to drive many white working-class voters away.

Texas emerged as a primary focus for Democrats, as they hoped to mobilize Latino voters to shift political dynamics favorably. It seemed they felt they no longer needed the white working class.

Ironically, winning both Texas and Missouri would require Democrats not just to address economic concerns, but also to adopt more culturally moderate positions. For some reason, there seemed to be a disconnect between their strategies for these different regions.

Excerpt from Nothing Left: Confessions of a Democratic Party Agent. Copyright © 2026 by Evan Barker. Reprinted with permission from Threshold Editions, a publisher of Simon & Schuster, LLC.