The American political landscape, already fraught with tension after the seismic 2024 election, is now a battleground not just of ideology but of raw power. As the 2026 midterms approach, Democrats—long accused by their own base of being too passive—are showing a new willingness to fight fire with fire, especially in the high-stakes contest over congressional redistricting. According to reporting from the Associated Press and New York Magazine, the Democratic Party’s internal divisions have been temporarily set aside as progressives and centrists unite to counter Republican maneuvers led by Donald Trump.
For years, the Democratic Party has been split between its progressive and centrist wings, with each side blaming the other for electoral setbacks. These tensions boiled over following the painful defeat in the 2024 presidential race, when Kamala Harris’s campaign was criticized from both directions. Progressives accused her of abandoning economic populism in favor of “corporate-friendly centrism,” while centrists argued she failed to stand up to the left’s “narrow but unpopular agendas.” The result was a round of soul-searching and intra-party finger-pointing, with both sides warning that their rivals’ approach would doom the party in future elections.
Yet, as the 2026 midterms loom, Democrats have found a common cause: resisting what they see as a Republican power grab. Republicans, emboldened by Trump’s return to the national stage, are pushing states to redraw congressional districts to favor the GOP. Texas became ground zero for this struggle when Republican leaders, with Trump’s backing, unveiled a new district map designed to send five more Republicans to the U.S. House. Democrats in the Texas Legislature responded by fleeing the state, denying the GOP the quorum needed to pass the redistricting plan. Their dramatic exit made headlines and inspired solidarity from Democratic governors and activists across the country.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul quickly pledged to redraw districts in their own states to offset potential Republican gains. Pritzker went so far as to mock Texas Governor Greg Abbott as a mere “lackey” to Trump, while Hochul dismissed Texas Republicans as “lawbreaking cowboys.” Newsom’s office even adopted Trump’s bombastic social media style, signing off with, “THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.”
At rallies and in the media, Democrats framed their fight as a defense of democracy itself. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, who could lose her seat under the new maps, declared, “For everyone that’s been asking, ‘Where are the Democrats?’—well, here they are. For everyone who’s been asking, ‘Where is the fight?’—well, here it is.” State Rep. Ramon Romero Jr. invoked the legacy of President Lyndon Johnson and even the spirit of the Alamo, saying, “We’re asking for help, maybe just as they did back in the days of the Alamo.”
Notably, this new approach marks a sharp departure from the Democrats’ traditional playbook. As Ken Martin, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, put it, “This is not the Democratic Party of your grandfather, which would bring a pencil to a knife fight.” The party’s willingness to embrace hardball tactics was echoed by Beto O’Rourke, who told a crowd, “You may say to yourself, ‘Well, those aren’t the rules.’ There are no refs in this game. F--- the rules. ... Whatever it takes.”
Behind the bravado lies a serious strategic calculation. Democrats have often prided themselves on supporting independent commissions and good-government reforms, especially when it comes to drawing legislative boundaries. But as U.S. Rep. Greg Casar of Texas argued, the stakes are too high to play by old rules. “Democrats must make unseemly, short-term power plays so they can later pass legislation that ‘bans gerrymandering nationwide ... bans super PACs and gets rid of that kind of big money and special interest that helped get us to this place.’”
Public opinion, however, remains a challenge. A recent poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 15% of Democratic voters still describe their party as “weak” or “apathetic,” with another 10% calling it “ineffective” or “disorganized.” Yet, there are signs that the party’s new fighting spirit is energizing its base. According to a CNN/SSRS poll released on July 17, nearly 72 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters are “extremely motivated” to vote in the 2026 midterms, compared to just 50 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters. That’s a notable jump from October of the previous year, when only 62 percent of Democrats reported being eager to vote.
Progressive and establishment Democrats alike see this moment as pivotal. Maurice Mitchell, who leads the Working Families Party, noted, “There’s been this overwrought talk about fighters and largely performative actions to suggest that they’re in the fight. This time, Democrats are ‘taking real risks in protecting all of our rights’ against ‘an authoritarian president who only understands the fight.’” Andrew O’Neill of Indivisible recalled past moments of Democratic resistance—like Cory Booker’s marathon speeches or Hakeem Jeffries’ fiery denunciations of Trump’s policies—but argued that rhetoric alone wasn’t enough. “Now, there is some marriage of the rhetoric we’ve been seeing since Trump’s inauguration with some actual action.”
Still, some activists and strategists worry about the long-term consequences of abandoning previous norms. Democrats in states like California may have to sidestep independent commissions and voter-approved reforms to push through new maps, a move that could undermine their credibility as champions of fair elections. Yet, as O’Rourke and others argue, the alternative is unilateral disarmament in the face of a GOP determined to tilt the playing field.
Looking ahead, most observers agree that the 2026 midterms will serve as a referendum on Trump’s influence and the Republican Party’s aggressive tactics. According to political scientist Larry Sabato, “Democrats may already be nearing the limits of how far left they can lean without alienating the broader electorate. They reached it during Biden. And they certainly reach it if they try and parallel what Bernie or AOC are doing—or now Mamdani. That doesn’t fit most districts. It doesn’t fit most states.” Nevertheless, Democrats hope that unity and a willingness to fight on all fronts will help them weather the storm.
For now, the message from Democratic leaders is clear: politics is a contact sport, and they’re ready to play. As U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson of Texas told her constituents, “If you don’t do politics, politics will do you.” With the 2026 midterms fast approaching, the stakes could hardly be higher—for both the party’s future and the nation’s political direction.