Democrats Discover Glimmers of Hope in Iowa and Minnesota Elections
Some Democrats are hesitant to overinterpret the results. However, it marks the first positive news they've encountered in quite some time.
TroibNews 
In a surprising turn of events, the Democrats are showing signs of rejuvenation just 24 hours after a series of significant developments.
On Tuesday, Iowa Democrats achieved an unexpected victory in a state Senate district that had previously supported Donald Trump by over 20 points. Additionally, Democrats in Minnesota regained their Senate majority in the state legislature. At the same time, congressional Democrats, who have had to defend their positions since Trump returned to office, condemned the President’s extensive freeze on federal assistance for the first time, presenting a unified front.
By Wednesday, the Trump administration lifted the freeze, prompting celebrations among Democrats for the first time since the November elections.
“I haven’t seen people so aroused in a very, very long time,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer shared with reporters at a press conference that day.
Despite this moment of celebration, some Democrats were cautious not to overanalyze either the White House’s decision to reverse the spending freeze or the party's successes in the Midwest. Trump continues to dominate Washington with a roster of MAGA-endorsed appointees and a Republican-majority Congress. While the win in Iowa was surprising, the victory in Minnesota had been anticipated. Nonetheless, for Democrats still feeling the sting from significant election losses in 2024, these events offered a sliver of optimism.
“It’s a bit of positive news in a sea of negativity [and] Democrats are eager for any positive news,” Iowa state Rep. J.D. Scholten stated, representing an area in rural northwest Iowa comparable to the recently flipped state Senate seat. “I don’t think we can base our whole 2026 plan off of one special election, but at the same time, it’s a good feeling.”
Following the Trump administration's brief memo rescinding the federal freeze, Waleed Shahid, a progressive Democratic operative, described the response from Democrats as a strategic model for how to “beat Flood the Zone” — encouraging them to “pick your fights and press where it counts.”
“Their overreach hit a Democratic intersection — legal pushback, constituent pressure and service providers turning up the heat on Congressional Democrats, and a media lane to drive a working-class populist message,” Shahid explained in an interview. “There does seem to be more excitement in Democrats being an opposition party than one focused on bipartisanship and capitulation.”
During a private conference call with lawmakers on Wednesday afternoon, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised their public pressure campaign, declaring the rescinded order a victory but urged them to remain vigilant as the caucus gears up for an “all hands on deck effort,” according to sources familiar with the call.
Leaders from key Democratic committees, including House Appropriations and Oversight, shared strategies to counter Trump’s moves. They encouraged lawmakers to hold news conferences featuring local officials to emphasize the consequences of the spending freeze, along with recording social media messages about it. The caucus also planned a “Stop The Republican Rip Off Day of Action” on Thursday, which would proceed despite the rescinded order, aimed at discussing “how the Republican agenda will hurt working people to reward the wealthy and well-connected,” based on guidance obtained by PMG.
The special election in Iowa—triggered by the resignation of then-state Sen. Chris Cournoyer, who became lieutenant governor—provided an unexpected boost to Democrats. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement that it demonstrated the party “can win in rural Iowa,” with the Democratic National Committee referring to it as an “earthquake.”
However, some political analysts in Iowa recommended a more cautious interpretation of the results, especially given the small sample size. They noted that Democrats have historically performed better among more informed voters, who are more likely to participate in special elections and midterms. This makes it challenging to project these outcomes onto broader elections.
“Don’t overread here,” advised Norm Sterzenbach, a veteran Iowa Democratic consultant. Nevertheless, he pointed out positive trends in the results, such as Mike Zimmer, the Democratic candidate, performing well in the Quad Cities—an area crucial for Democrats aiming to regain strength in Iowa—with a campaign that focused on local issues.
Zimmer “ran on his own background as a teacher, kept it local, not about Trump, not about stuff in Washington, and as much as there’s an urge to react to the news of the day, their campaign didn’t,” Sterzenbach noted. “If there’s a lesson, it’s keep it local, don’t get caught up in Trump and Washington.”
Republicans, in contrast, interpreted Zimmer’s win and subsequent Democratic enthusiasm on social media as an indication of how dire the situation has become for Democrats elsewhere. Adam Kincaid, president of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, labeled it evidence that “they’re grasping at straws” given that “it’s a special election in late January in Iowa, so it’s silly to read too much into it.”
Kincaid did, however, advise Republicans to learn from the Iowa upset. “We need good candidates, and we have to turn out Trump voters when President Trump is not on the ballot,” he warned.
“Republicans used to have a really solid midterm coalition and Democrats were the ones who would struggle to turn out their voters in midterms, and I think that’s changed,” Kincaid reflected. “Figuring out how to get our low-propensity voters to show up is the challenge we have for the next 18 months.”
Daniella Diaz contributed to this report.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Tuesday, Iowa Democrats achieved an unexpected victory in a state Senate district that had previously supported Donald Trump by over 20 points. Additionally, Democrats in Minnesota regained their Senate majority in the state legislature. At the same time, congressional Democrats, who have had to defend their positions since Trump returned to office, condemned the President’s extensive freeze on federal assistance for the first time, presenting a unified front.
By Wednesday, the Trump administration lifted the freeze, prompting celebrations among Democrats for the first time since the November elections.
“I haven’t seen people so aroused in a very, very long time,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer shared with reporters at a press conference that day.
Despite this moment of celebration, some Democrats were cautious not to overanalyze either the White House’s decision to reverse the spending freeze or the party's successes in the Midwest. Trump continues to dominate Washington with a roster of MAGA-endorsed appointees and a Republican-majority Congress. While the win in Iowa was surprising, the victory in Minnesota had been anticipated. Nonetheless, for Democrats still feeling the sting from significant election losses in 2024, these events offered a sliver of optimism.
“It’s a bit of positive news in a sea of negativity [and] Democrats are eager for any positive news,” Iowa state Rep. J.D. Scholten stated, representing an area in rural northwest Iowa comparable to the recently flipped state Senate seat. “I don’t think we can base our whole 2026 plan off of one special election, but at the same time, it’s a good feeling.”
Following the Trump administration's brief memo rescinding the federal freeze, Waleed Shahid, a progressive Democratic operative, described the response from Democrats as a strategic model for how to “beat Flood the Zone” — encouraging them to “pick your fights and press where it counts.”
“Their overreach hit a Democratic intersection — legal pushback, constituent pressure and service providers turning up the heat on Congressional Democrats, and a media lane to drive a working-class populist message,” Shahid explained in an interview. “There does seem to be more excitement in Democrats being an opposition party than one focused on bipartisanship and capitulation.”
During a private conference call with lawmakers on Wednesday afternoon, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised their public pressure campaign, declaring the rescinded order a victory but urged them to remain vigilant as the caucus gears up for an “all hands on deck effort,” according to sources familiar with the call.
Leaders from key Democratic committees, including House Appropriations and Oversight, shared strategies to counter Trump’s moves. They encouraged lawmakers to hold news conferences featuring local officials to emphasize the consequences of the spending freeze, along with recording social media messages about it. The caucus also planned a “Stop The Republican Rip Off Day of Action” on Thursday, which would proceed despite the rescinded order, aimed at discussing “how the Republican agenda will hurt working people to reward the wealthy and well-connected,” based on guidance obtained by PMG.
The special election in Iowa—triggered by the resignation of then-state Sen. Chris Cournoyer, who became lieutenant governor—provided an unexpected boost to Democrats. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement that it demonstrated the party “can win in rural Iowa,” with the Democratic National Committee referring to it as an “earthquake.”
However, some political analysts in Iowa recommended a more cautious interpretation of the results, especially given the small sample size. They noted that Democrats have historically performed better among more informed voters, who are more likely to participate in special elections and midterms. This makes it challenging to project these outcomes onto broader elections.
“Don’t overread here,” advised Norm Sterzenbach, a veteran Iowa Democratic consultant. Nevertheless, he pointed out positive trends in the results, such as Mike Zimmer, the Democratic candidate, performing well in the Quad Cities—an area crucial for Democrats aiming to regain strength in Iowa—with a campaign that focused on local issues.
Zimmer “ran on his own background as a teacher, kept it local, not about Trump, not about stuff in Washington, and as much as there’s an urge to react to the news of the day, their campaign didn’t,” Sterzenbach noted. “If there’s a lesson, it’s keep it local, don’t get caught up in Trump and Washington.”
Republicans, in contrast, interpreted Zimmer’s win and subsequent Democratic enthusiasm on social media as an indication of how dire the situation has become for Democrats elsewhere. Adam Kincaid, president of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, labeled it evidence that “they’re grasping at straws” given that “it’s a special election in late January in Iowa, so it’s silly to read too much into it.”
Kincaid did, however, advise Republicans to learn from the Iowa upset. “We need good candidates, and we have to turn out Trump voters when President Trump is not on the ballot,” he warned.
“Republicans used to have a really solid midterm coalition and Democrats were the ones who would struggle to turn out their voters in midterms, and I think that’s changed,” Kincaid reflected. “Figuring out how to get our low-propensity voters to show up is the challenge we have for the next 18 months.”
Daniella Diaz contributed to this report.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
