by Sophia Ridder, reporter
The Democratic party believes in government programs, economic equality, and social justice.
The key issues for Democrats in this election are healthcare, climate change, race relations, and distribution of income and wealth.
The people who identify as Democrats are changing. The party is now 43% nonwhite, up 12% from 2001 according to a Gallup poll from 2018.
The poll also found that 35% percent of Democrats have a college degree, up 8% from 2001.
Lastly, it found that Democrats with degrees are more likely to favor progressive policies, and most Democrats have become more liberal in the past 20 years. (Gallup, 2018)
Democrats are now 25% more likely to favor immigration, and two-thirds believe that the government should regulate business more, up from 50% in 1994. (Pew research center)
Bernie Sander’s run for president in 2016 gave a voice for the progressive side of the party.
Bernie advocated for universal healthcare, free college education, and dramatic action on climate change.
Hillary Clinton’s nomination separated the progressives and the moderates in the party.
Voter turnout was lower than expected in key states like Michigan, and write-in votes further hurt the cause. On top of that Clinton failed to gain the support of the white working class, a group that mainly voted for Obama. (New York Times)
2018 saw the first sign of the Democrats reawakening, with historically high voter turnout helping them to gain control of the house.
They are looking for a blue wave to take back control of the Presidency, and the Senate. To gain back control of the Senate they need to gain 4 seats.
They will need high voter turnout from its base, especially blacks and Latinos, and will need to gain back some of the white working class.
