During President Donald Trump’s initial term, many emerged as prominent figures of resistance. However, in his second term, they struggled to win primaries.
On Tuesday, Alexander Vindman, a former National Security Council aide known for his testimony during the 2019 House impeachment inquiry, faced defeat in the Florida Senate primary. Despite his campaign’s focus on standing up to Trump and challenging corruption, and his ability to attract substantial funds due to his national profile, he was unexpectedly defeated by democratic socialist Angie Nixon. This outcome highlights the evolving political preferences within the Democratic base.
David Axelrod, a veteran Democratic strategist, remarked, “Vindman is a hero, but memories fade and the focus of most folks is on the cost of living. She made those issues her focus.”
While Democratic voters are seeking candidates who will challenge the president and the GOP, the consistent losses among resistance figures from Trump’s first term signal a shift within the Democratic base. Vocal opposition through official means is no longer a surefire path to success.
The list of campaigns led by Trump-resistance figures facing setbacks continues to expand.
Among the 2021 House impeachment managers, Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) faced challenges: DeGette was defeated by a democratic socialist, while Swalwell withdrew from the California gubernatorial primary amid sexual assault allegations. Similarly, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), who played a key role in the first Trump impeachment inquiry, lost his primary, as did Harry Dunn, a Capitol Police officer recognized for his bravery on Jan. 6, 2021, in his second unsuccessful House bid in Maryland.
Other Democrats who gained prominence through their opposition to Trump also stumbled.
Tom Steyer, a major financial backer of the Trump resistance, did not advance in the California gubernatorial primary. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), active during the 2021 impeachment, failed in his Senate bid. Reps. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) and Al Green (D-Texas), known for their impeachment efforts, were defeated by younger opponents. George Conway, a noted Trump critic and Lincoln Project co-founder, received only six percent of the vote in a New York City House primary.
Lanae Erickson from the Third Way think tank commented, “‘#Resistance’ was a very Trump 1.0 mood, and now we are in a different moment of anger. They’re mad about the war. They’re mad about costs. They’re mad about the establishment not having delivered anything for them.”
Not all races centered on Trump-related issues. Swalwell exited due to multiple sexual assault allegations, some incumbents lost to Democratic Socialists of America challengers, and in Goldman’s case, the debate over Israel played a significant role.
A Democratic operative involved in one of these races noted that these candidates were “institutionalists” who trusted the justice system to hold Trump accountable. However, voters, having lost confidence in these institutions after Trump’s return to office, were drawn to candidates criticizing these systems.
“The prescription isn’t what they were looking for anymore,” the operative noted.
Should Democrats regain control of the House, they must address their base’s demand for holding Trump accountable. Republicans have long warned that Democrats will promptly move to impeach Trump if they secure a House majority in 2027, with Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) expressing openness to this action.
However, some Democrats are exercising caution. “There are certain sections of people that definitely want Democrats to prioritize impeachment of the president. There are also other segments of people that want Democrats to prioritize bringing down the cost of living,” said Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas), who lost a runoff in a newly gerrymandered district. “You can’t just focus on one thing at the exclusion of the other.”
The electoral results, coupled with the defeats of Trump-endorsed candidates in primaries, indicate that Americans might be ready to move beyond Trump, suggested Mike Madrid, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project.
“People are just tired of him, broadly. They don’t want to deal with him and the fights and the exhaustion and the never-Trump model, but also the sycophantic MAGA support model either,” Madrid observed, referencing the losses of Trump-endorsed candidates from Florida to Wyoming. “It’s Trump fatigue.’”
Some candidates are adapting in response.
David Jolly, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Florida and a former GOP House member, left the Republican Party in 2018 over disagreements with Trump. After a period as an independent and a frequent critic of the president on MSNBC, he registered as a Democrat over a year ago before announcing his gubernatorial candidacy.
Although Trump influenced his political journey, Jolly has not made him the focus of his campaign. “I’m not running the race about Trump. I rarely talk about him. But I am going to tie Byron to Trump’s economy,” Jolly told POLITICO after securing the nomination, referring to his opponent, GOP Rep. Byron Donalds.
Elaine Luria (D-Va.), who was part of the House Jan. 6th Committee, is campaigning to reclaim her seat against Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.). In a statement, she expressed pride in her congressional work to hold Trump and his administration accountable but quickly emphasized economic issues.
Candidates who lost primaries acknowledge that their resistance credentials were beneficial but insufficient.
Dunn, the Capitol Police officer, was honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Joe Biden for his actions on Jan. 6, 2021. Despite his recognition, he attributed his primary loss more to voters’ current focus on economic concerns.
“While name recognition got me to be a formidable challenger, it didn’t put me across the finish line,” said Dunn, who placed third in Maryland’s 5th District primary. “I just think it’s too nuanced to just drill it down to ‘people just don’t care anymore.’” The Democratic nominee, Adrian Boafo, is “strongly about holding Donald Trump accountable,” Dunn added.
Goldman faced defeat against Brad Lander, who frequently highlighted his activism against the administration’s immigration policies.
Steyer, who campaigned for California governor, lost to Xavier Becerra, who promoted his legal battles against the Trump administration as California’s attorney general and emphasized other aspects of his career, such as his tenure as Biden’s health secretary during the campaign.
Prior to entering the race, Steyer reminded voters about the Need to Impeach campaign he had previously funded in an ad supporting the Democratic gerrymander in California. However, his past advocacy, highlighted during his campaign, was perceived as outdated and insufficient to propel him to victory, according to his former campaign spokesperson Kevin Liao.
“Tom Steyer led an impeachment movement almost 10 years ago now, and I think it’s hard to expect the electorate to hold that long of a memory on anything that happened almost a decade ago,” Liao stated.
Adam Wren, Kimberly Leonard, Riley Rogerson, Blake Jones, and Madison Fernandez contributed reporting.
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