Democrats Shift Stances on Israel, Immigration, Transgender Issues and Health Care Ahead of Midterms
Democratic candidates are rethinking their positions on a range of divisive issues as the party tries to regain its footing.
By Thomas Reynolds ·
Two years after US voters returned Republican Donald Trump to the White House for a second nonconsecutive term, Democratic candidates in the midterm elections are rethinking their stances on a range of divisive issues. Some have softened their positions, while others have pushed further to the left, and a few are openly breaking with party leadership. The shifts come as the party tries to regain its footing and win back control of both houses of Congress from Republicans.
Since Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, divisions among Democrats have deepened. Establishment figures and self-described moderates have struggled to contain a growing wave of progressive populism, driven by groups such as the Democratic Socialists of America. The result is a party in which candidates' policy positions often depend on the district or state where they are running.
Israel is arguably where the change has been most visible. More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's war on Gaza, which began after the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and polling shows Americans growing more critical. A Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this year found that 60 percent of US adults held an unfavourable view of Israel, rising to 80 percent among Democrats.
Some longtime Democratic backers of Israel have responded. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, who is likely to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee if Democrats win the Senate next month, told Politico this month that he wants a 'thorough reexamination' of the US-Israeli relationship and would consider sanctions on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That marks a change from 2024, when Harris declined calls to feature a Palestinian American speaker at the Democratic National Convention. Earlier this year, 40 Democratic senators backed a motion disapproving proposed military sales to Israel, while only seven sided with Republicans to block it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who would likely become majority leader, maintains that the US commitment to Israel's security 'must be ironclad'.
Source: Al Jazeera
