Democrats Descend on Denver to Shape 2028 — and Admit the Midterm Win Wasn't Really Theirs

The three-day conference kicks off in Denver under the banner of Majority Democrats, an independent group led by Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass. It is not an official party event; organizers are billing it as an outside conversation about where Democrats go from here. The gathering was planned before this month's midterm results came in, and organizers say it's a chance to dissect the 2026 outcome and the leaders and ideas that could carry the party through 2028 and beyond.

Lis Smith, a longtime Democratic strategist and senior adviser to the group, didn't sugarcoat the win. She told Fox News Digital that the election was less an endorsement of Democrats than a rejection of Trump, and that the Denver sit-down is meant for honest talk about what worked and what didn't. She called it a once-in-a-generation chance to redefine what it means to be a Democrat — one the party can't afford to squander, she said.

The guest list reads like an early 2028 scoreboard. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 primary contender, is on the slate, along with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, and Sen.-elect James Talarico of Texas. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and former Obama adviser David Axelrod round out the lineup.

Democrats are riding historic seat flips, including in places like Texas, Kansas and South Carolina, and will take control of both chambers of Congress in January. Now they have to convert that momentum into governing: leaders have promised to lower costs, improve government services and investigate the Trump administration, while the party still has to bridge its progressive and moderate wings — and show voters their wins translate into real affordability and healthcare results.

With no clear frontrunner for 2028, the Denver stage hands potential contenders a rare early audition in front of the party's donors, activists and press. For now, the more immediate test is delivering on the promises that won them Congress in the first place.