Democrats Face Challenges Ahead of 2028 Election

Matt Bennett, co-founder of the liberal think tank Third Way, expressed concerns about the Democratic Party’s current state during an interview with journalist Mark Halperin on “Next Up with Mark Halperin.” He emphasized that the party won’t see improvements until it identifies a presidential nominee.

The Democratic Party’s approval rating is currently at 34.7%, according to averages from RealClearPolling. Bennett highlighted the party’s troubling standing in public opinion, stating that Democrats are in a “terrible state” and have yet to tackle these issues.

“We need to face facts. The Democratic Party is really struggling,” Bennett told Halperin. “Different polls suggest our approval could be in the 20s or even teens. Meanwhile, [President] Donald Trump is seemingly eroding governmental structures, which isn’t ideal.”

He further elaborated, “There are many reasons for this situation. I think we can delve into those. But honestly, we haven’t begun to really address them. I don’t believe we can fully tackle this until we have a leader in place. It typically takes around three years to nominate a candidate for president. Political parties are defined, mainly, by their leaders.”

A recent poll by Quinnipiac University indicated that only 19% of voters support Democrats in Congress—the lowest level recorded by the agency. Bennett noted that choosing a candidate is going to be a lengthy process, stating, “The president essentially shapes the party’s brand, and it’s going to be tough for the next few years. I haven’t quite seen a pathway to that yet.”

In a memo released in August, Third Way advised the Democratic Party to steer clear of “woke” language, suggesting that it could alienate voters. They cautioned against using 45 specific terms that might seem extreme or elitist to the general public.

Moreover, an analysis from the New York Times reported that Democrats lost approximately 2.1 million registered voters between the 2020 and 2024 elections. Currently, California Governor Gavin Newsom leads the potential 2028 Democratic candidates with 21% support among Democratic and Democratic-leaning independent voters, followed by former Vice President Kamala Harris at 19% and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at 12%, according to a Yahoo/YouGov poll conducted recently.