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DENVER — Fresh off sweeping midterm victories, Democratic leaders, strategists and potential 2028 presidential contenders are heading to Colorado to debate what comes next for their party.
The three-day “What’s Next” conference in Denver, organized by the independent group Majority Democrats, will bring together a broad slate of leaders from within the party as an advisor for the group admitting to Fox News Digital that the election results do not prove “validation of our party,” but is more a “repudiation of Donald Trump.”
The conference organizers hope to bring together Democrats to see “where our party goes from here.”
The lineup includes former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who ran in the Democratic presidential primary in 2020; Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.; Sen.-elect James Talarico, D-Texas; New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill; Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger; Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; and former Obama advisor David Axelrod.
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Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 presidential candidate, will address the conference as Democrats begin weighing who could lead the party into 2028. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News Digital)
Democrats, as they prepare to take control of Congress in January, are seeking to capitalize on their electoral gains and strategize on how to make good on the campaign promises that won them control of both chambers of Congress and many usually red State Houses — like affordability and healthcare. Organizers describe the gathering as a chance to assess the 2026 results and discuss the leaders, ideas and debates that could shape the party through 2028 and beyond.
The conference was scheduled even before Democrats’ sweeping midterm victories earlier this month where they saw historic seat flips not just in traditional Republican strongholds like Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.
Democrats must now turn those midterm gains into a governing agenda that reaches beyond their energized base.
Party leaders have pledged to lower costs, improve government services and investigate the Trump administration, but the party still faces questions about how to unite its progressive and moderate wings.
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Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is among the Democrats expected at the Denver gathering as party leaders and potential 2028 contenders debate the party’s next direction. (Eric Lee/Getty Images)
The conference is not an official Democratic Party event. Hosted by Majority Democrats, a group led by Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., it is billed as an “independent, outsider conversation” about the party’s future.
Lis Smith, a longtime Democratic strategist and veteran of several presidential campaigns, serves as a senior adviser to the group and said the post-midterm election event would take an honest look at the party’s recent victories and what comes next now that they will control the House and the Senate.
“Democrats won big last week, but let’s be honest: the election was more a repudiation of Donald Trump than a validation of our party,” Smith told Fox News Digital. “That’s why Majority Democrats is bringing together some of the biggest names and brightest new voices in Democratic politics at ‘What’s Next’ to have honest conversations about what worked, what didn’t and where our party goes from here.”
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what it means to be a Democrat, and our party can’t afford to squander it,” she added.
The midterm victories gave Democrats a new foothold in Washington, but the party now faces pressure to show voters those wins can translate into lower costs and results. (Al Drago/Getty Images)
The conference’s high-profile guest list could also offer an early glimpse of the party’s 2028 presidential field, fueling speculation about who may seek the nomination.
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With no clear frontrunner, the gathering gives potential contenders a chance to share their views as Democrats consider who might lead the party’s next campaign. For now, their more immediate test will be delivering on the promises that helped them win the midterm elections.