A new 58-page WelcomePAC report urges Democrats to emphasize the economy and moderate positions on immigration and crime, with input from high-profile strategists including David Axelrod and David Plouffe.
WelcomePAC, a group that backs center-left Democrats, released a 58-page strategy report on October 27, 2025, arguing the party must recalibrate after its 2024 defeats. The document, published Monday, says Democrats should talk more about the economy and less about democracy-themed messaging, and it devotes only five pages to the 2024 Biden–Harris campaigns—opting instead for broader strategic guidance. (politico.com)
Framing itself as a corrective to what it calls the party’s leftward drift since the Obama era, the report blames a constellation of donors, operatives and progressive advocacy groups for nudging Democrats away from voters’ top concerns. It recommends an agenda that keeps widely popular items—such as expanding health coverage, raising the minimum wage and ensuring the wealthy “pay their fair share” in taxes—while moving to the middle on issues where the party is seen as out of step, particularly immigration and crime. The authors also stress that reproductive rights remain broadly popular but are lower-salience than economic concerns for many voters. (welcome.team)
The report goes further on messaging, saying Democrats should be willing to break with unpopular party orthodoxies—even if that means rejecting demands from corporate interests, left-wing activists or the donor class—and to focus less on lower-salience cultural fights, citing topics like transgender athletes as examples where overemphasis can backfire. (welcome.team)
On candidate models and positioning, the document points to centrist figures who emphasize border security and cost-of-living issues, citing Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona and Rep. Jared Golden of Maine as examples of tone and approach that resonate beyond the base. It also cautions that Democrats should “distance ourselves from the Biden administration,” particularly on border security and the cost of living—a reflection, the report argues, of why Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign struggled to shake earlier perceptions despite running more to the center. (politico.com)
At the same time, the authors say Democrats can learn from leaders whose brands center on affordability. The report explicitly praises the “relentless focus” of Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani on lowering costs and expanding opportunity. (welcome.team)
The timing of the report—one week before high-profile off-year contests—adds practical context. Politico notes that the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races will serve as early tests of this centrist, affordability-first pitch. Recent polling shows Democrats with leads in both, though New Jersey is closer while Virginia appears to give Democrat Abigail Spanberger a steadier advantage. (politico.com)
Looking ahead, the authors warn against overreading midterm or special-election successes as predictors of presidential results, saying less-engaged voters who often skip off-year elections are likely to return in 2028. (welcome.team)
WelcomePAC lists input from a broad roster of Democratic strategists and analysts, including David Axelrod, James Carville, David Plouffe, Lis Smith, Andrew Bates, Nate Silver, Sarah Longwell and former Rep. Cheri Bustos. The authors of the report include Simon Bazelon, Lauren Harper Pope and Liam Kerr. (politico.com)
