'We can't let them down' -- After midterm wins, Democrats turn to charting path ahead

Texas Senator-elect James Talarico speaks at the Mission Ballroom during the What's Next Denver political convention on Nov. 12, 2026. David Zalubowski/AP hide caption

David Zalubowski/AP

DENVER — Democrats descended on Denver for a two-day conference that was half victory party, half sober look at the road ahead on delivering for the voters who elected them.

The "What's Next" conference, hosted by the group Majority Democrats, was scheduled long before Democrats outperformed expectations with their best electoral performance since Watergate. It brought together rising stars — like incoming Gov. Rob Sand in Iowa and Sen.-elect James Talarico in Texas — along with strategists, organizers, state and federal lawmakers and potential presidential contenders.

Held at a concert hall, with colorful artwork of party heavy hitters dotting the venue, Democrats attended sessions like "What Voters Want" and "What Needs To Change." The overwhelming emphasis from speakers was that Democrats have to earn back trust.

A compilation of posters on display at the What's Next conference in Denver on November 12, 2026. hide caption

"We won races in places where we haven't won in a long time, even in some places where we've never won. And the message shouldn't be that [voters] are fully embracing the Democratic Party," said Colorado Rep. Jason Crow in an interview.

"It took us decades to dig ourselves in a hole and to push people away from us, and it's going to take us more than one cycle to earn that trust," said Crow, who is one of the party's recruitment co-chairs.

Attendees cheer during the What's Next summit. Following the midterm elections, prominent Democrats and political insiders gathered for the event to evaluate election results, and debate party strategy. Mark Makela/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption

Mark Makela/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

A party on probation

Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, took the party to task for not investing more in the South and in Black voters.

"When we say that Black voters are the base of our party, then I ask why are we not investing in a region of the country that on Tuesday night just proved everybody wrong of what is possible," said Clayton to much applause. "Rural America deserves the investment from the Democratic Party and we must run towards communities that our party has run away from."

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Democrats shouldn't rest on their laurels.

"I think we are adequately politically traumatized by the last few cycles, so that we will not draw the wrong lessons from all of this," Buttigieg said. "Because here's the thing: it is yet to be written whether what we just experienced is one more oscillation from one side to the other and back, or whether it is the beginning of a tectonic movement changing American politics."

He said Democrats can learn from the current White House on two fronts, by having: "a bias towards action and a readiness to get things done coming out of the gate and at the very same time a readiness to plan for the long-term," adding Democrats should come out of the gate strong, with a rapid-fire series of bills to lower the cost of living.

Presumptive next Speaker of the House Hakeem Jeffries told the audience he has plans to do just that, with a robust agenda that includes reversing Medicaid cuts, banning congressional stock trading and mid-decade redistricting, establishing a statutory right to abortion, and overturning the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that did away with limits on political spending by corporations and unions.

The conference itself was peppered with potential presidential contenders, including Buttigieg, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, and California Rep. Ro Khanna, one of the few progressive speakers.

No one announced an official run, but many gave previews of their theory of the case.

"I do think it's important that whoever we hire to be the chief executive of this country knows how to run something, knows how to get stuff done, knows how to not just have a vision but knows how to deliver on it," Shapiro told reporters.

Someone who was previously kicking the tires for a possible White House bid — Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen — told reporters he's no longer considering it, as he instead pursues the top leadership post in the Senate.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., speaks during the What's Next summit on Nov. 13 in Denver. Mark Makela/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption

Mark Makela/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

Should Democrats work with Trump? 

Throughout the conference, Democrats debated whether and how to work with the Trump administration in order to deliver meaningful change for voters.

"If slapping Trump's name on it and putting it in gold letters would get it through — hell yes, I would do that," said Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin.

Talarico agrees.

"The American people cannot wait two years for change, so we must work with President Trump," Talarico said. "We should make the final two years of his presidency the most productive of any American presidency."

But New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill added a note of caution, describing the president as a bad faith actor.

"The art of the deal to Trump is he figures out what you want, he leverages the you know what out of you, and keeps taking, taking, taking, and never delivers," Sherrill said. "My advice to Sen. Talarico is if Trump wants to work with us, we will lay out the agenda, and he can sign it."