Who are the Democrats running in the midterms, and where do they stand? Our US political reporters are live now to discuss the state of the Democrats, the party’s moderate and leftwing candidates and key races to watch

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Citizen_Squared writes: After the disaster of the Trump years, the Democrats still do not have a clear message/vision/plan for ending the destruction Maga has done. Talking endlessly about affordability is not a governing vision. The polls may have the Democrats ahead for the House and Senate but thanks to extreme gerrymandering, voter restrictions and a big assist from the corrupt Supreme Court in striking out the Voting Rights Act, don’t be surprised if the gains by the Democrats are limited on election day. If that happens, the party will collapse into civil war.

David: Yes, if Democrats underperform, there are sure to be recriminations and huge pressure on Senate leader Chuck Schumer and House leader Hakeem Jeffries (it’s been notable how many candidates are unwilling to endorse Schumer). But the day after the midterms will also fire the starting gun for the 2028 presidential primary, which will probably galvanising and energising. Candidates will come forward with their visions and that will take up a lot of oxygen.

Shrai: For Democrats, these midterms live in the wake of Kamala Harris’s loss in 2024. The party is still undergoing an identity crisis which these races seem to highlight. We’re seeing battleground states choose insurgent nominees who really buck the party’s establishment (see Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Troy Jackson in Maine, Angie Nixon in Florida and several other progressives in House races in New York and Colorado). But there is also a sense that this wave isn’t applicable across the board, particularly in states where we have Democrats running on more centrist platforms (see Roy Cooper in North Carolina, Chris Pappas in New Hampshire and James Talarico in Texas).

If progressive candidates aren’t successful in November it could be the cudgel that the establishment uses to advocate for moderate candidates (particularly looking ahead to 2028). If they win, however, it could be the exact proof-of-concept for the party’s direction forward, and running politicians who are pushing for ideas that might have once been considered radical (thinking about Medicare for All and higher taxes on the ultra-wealthy).

David: Affordability worked for both moderate and progressive Democrats in last year’s elections in New Jersey, New York and Virginia. I have to believe some flavor of that will be central in 2028: an understanding that the elites and the system have failed, that voters are struggling to make ends meet, that they fear their children will be worse off than they are. We’ve gone from an age of aspiration to an age of anxiety. Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia has been good at tying this to Trump and “the Epstein class”. But how will Democrats fix it? It will also be fascinating to see how Democrats handle the issues of AI/datacenters and Israel.

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