We talked live yesterday with David Hogg, the activist, former Democratic National Committee vice chair, and head of Leaders We Deserve, about the road ahead for Democrats in the run-up to the 2026 midterm elections, what the results of this year’s special elections might portend, and how the reality of the Zohran Mamdani mayorality has measured up to his campaign (so far, pretty good — even an A+, says Hogg). We also talked about:
How short-term thinking derailed Democrats and made the party’s brand toxic
Why predicting the future based on Democratic overperformance in special elections is a mistake
Mamdani’s outreach to Governor Kathy Hochul and New York state leaders — and how likely it is that he’ll be able to deliver on his campaign promises
Why it’s critical for the future that Democrats campaign everywhere — even in races they’re sure to lose
How to break the political obsession with two- and four-year voting cycles and start to do the work of long-term change
How Democrats lost faith in their ability to change minds, and how to get it back
If you’re concerned about the upcoming Democratic primaries and the midterm election in November (and of course you are), you won’t want to miss this conversation. Just click on the video player above to watch now.
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