Democrats who defied Republican surge encourage focus on 'kitchen-table issues'
Sens.-elect Elissa Slotkin and Ruben Gallego analyzed the challenges facing their party during appearances on the Sunday shows.
TroibNews 
Democrats who secured key Senate victories have a straightforward message for their party: improve the economic narrative or face continued losses.
Elissa Slotkin from Michigan, Ruben Gallego in Arizona, and Adam Schiff in California, soon-to-be senators, appeared on Sunday television shows to discuss what they did right that others did not. This comes a week after many Democrats avoided appearances on the networks following the election results.
“Any party — and I can only represent the Democratic Party — needs to focus on the things that keep people up at night. That's their pocketbooks and their kids,” Slotkin shared in an interview with MSNBC's "Inside with Jen Psaki." She emphasized the importance of focusing on issues that resonate with everyday Americans, particularly those related to economics.
Like Slotkin, Gallego is a House member who gained a Senate seat on Election Day, despite Trump winning Arizona at the top of the ticket. He noted that Democrats broadly failed to connect with voters on issues that matter, especially regarding the economy.
“You can have all the graphs you want,” Gallego remarked on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “If you open up your checking account, and you see that you're making less, and there's not enough coming in, it doesn't matter what the GDP growth is.”
He highlighted that Arizona had more registered Republicans than Democrats, and he recognized that voters from both parties were experiencing economic struggles, connecting with them as someone who grew up in adversity.
“People were hurting. When I say people were hurting, people were — really felt the pain of the economy,” Gallego explained. “We explained to people that what is happening right now is bad. And also by the way, it's not your fault. But we're going to work to fix it. And I think that's the thing that we did for 23 months that made the biggest difference.”
Schiff, another colleague from solidly Democratic California, identified a similar challenge in messaging among Democrats.
“Frankly, I think one of the reasons I was successful in California is I was out there talking about the economy,” Schiff stated in an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union.” He argued for the necessity of extending this message to rural America, emphasizing the party's respect and commitment to understanding and addressing the challenges voters face.
In Pennsylvania, a battleground state that experienced Republican gains, Democratic Senator John Fetterman pointed to “unique” circumstances that contributed to Trump's strength this cycle, mentioning events like the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, and Elon Musk's heightened presence in the area.
Even House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries acknowledged the significance of Democratic losses among the working class as part of the party's future strategy. He stressed that Democrats must prioritize the needs of working families over those well-connected.
“Poorly negotiated trade deals, the outsourcing of good-paying American jobs, the decline of unionization, and of course the rise of automation have all jammed up people in the heartland of America, the Great Lakes states, and working families all across the country,” Jeffries expressed in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He stated that it falls on Democrats, Republicans, and independents to take decisive action on these issues.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who is term-limited in three years and has been mentioned as a potential national candidate, pointed to the opportunities arising from the appointments in the upcoming Trump administration.
“I certainly don't want to do any finger pointing, because the vice president had 107 days, and she did her very best. And I proudly criss-crossed the country in support of her,” Beshear said during an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation.” He indicated that in the coming years, Democrats have numerous opportunities to demonstrate their focus on jobs, healthcare, infrastructure, and education—issues that concern everyday citizens.
He added, “And with this administration, at least right now selecting some very extreme appointees, it's a chance to make a real difference, to really show people that we're where their basic needs are.”
Beshear also emphasized that Democrats shouldn't abandon their principles, citing his veto of a Republican-passed anti-LGBTQ+ bill while afterward shifting back to job-related discussions.
“If we're talking about this issue of the day, and then we're talking about what Donald Trump said last night,” Beshear noted, “And then we're talking about jobs — we're only spending a third of the time talking about what people are worried about and what impacts their life the most.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
Elissa Slotkin from Michigan, Ruben Gallego in Arizona, and Adam Schiff in California, soon-to-be senators, appeared on Sunday television shows to discuss what they did right that others did not. This comes a week after many Democrats avoided appearances on the networks following the election results.
“Any party — and I can only represent the Democratic Party — needs to focus on the things that keep people up at night. That's their pocketbooks and their kids,” Slotkin shared in an interview with MSNBC's "Inside with Jen Psaki." She emphasized the importance of focusing on issues that resonate with everyday Americans, particularly those related to economics.
Like Slotkin, Gallego is a House member who gained a Senate seat on Election Day, despite Trump winning Arizona at the top of the ticket. He noted that Democrats broadly failed to connect with voters on issues that matter, especially regarding the economy.
“You can have all the graphs you want,” Gallego remarked on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “If you open up your checking account, and you see that you're making less, and there's not enough coming in, it doesn't matter what the GDP growth is.”
He highlighted that Arizona had more registered Republicans than Democrats, and he recognized that voters from both parties were experiencing economic struggles, connecting with them as someone who grew up in adversity.
“People were hurting. When I say people were hurting, people were — really felt the pain of the economy,” Gallego explained. “We explained to people that what is happening right now is bad. And also by the way, it's not your fault. But we're going to work to fix it. And I think that's the thing that we did for 23 months that made the biggest difference.”
Schiff, another colleague from solidly Democratic California, identified a similar challenge in messaging among Democrats.
“Frankly, I think one of the reasons I was successful in California is I was out there talking about the economy,” Schiff stated in an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union.” He argued for the necessity of extending this message to rural America, emphasizing the party's respect and commitment to understanding and addressing the challenges voters face.
In Pennsylvania, a battleground state that experienced Republican gains, Democratic Senator John Fetterman pointed to “unique” circumstances that contributed to Trump's strength this cycle, mentioning events like the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, and Elon Musk's heightened presence in the area.
Even House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries acknowledged the significance of Democratic losses among the working class as part of the party's future strategy. He stressed that Democrats must prioritize the needs of working families over those well-connected.
“Poorly negotiated trade deals, the outsourcing of good-paying American jobs, the decline of unionization, and of course the rise of automation have all jammed up people in the heartland of America, the Great Lakes states, and working families all across the country,” Jeffries expressed in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He stated that it falls on Democrats, Republicans, and independents to take decisive action on these issues.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who is term-limited in three years and has been mentioned as a potential national candidate, pointed to the opportunities arising from the appointments in the upcoming Trump administration.
“I certainly don't want to do any finger pointing, because the vice president had 107 days, and she did her very best. And I proudly criss-crossed the country in support of her,” Beshear said during an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation.” He indicated that in the coming years, Democrats have numerous opportunities to demonstrate their focus on jobs, healthcare, infrastructure, and education—issues that concern everyday citizens.
He added, “And with this administration, at least right now selecting some very extreme appointees, it's a chance to make a real difference, to really show people that we're where their basic needs are.”
Beshear also emphasized that Democrats shouldn't abandon their principles, citing his veto of a Republican-passed anti-LGBTQ+ bill while afterward shifting back to job-related discussions.
“If we're talking about this issue of the day, and then we're talking about what Donald Trump said last night,” Beshear noted, “And then we're talking about jobs — we're only spending a third of the time talking about what people are worried about and what impacts their life the most.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
