Democrats eyeing a presidential bid scramble to un-woke themselves

Ambitious Democrats eyeing a presidential bid are currently experiencing a slow-motion version of the Sister Souljah moment, a pivotal moment in political rebranding.

In their quest to escape the political wilderness, potential candidates for the 2028 election—especially those from predominantly blue states—are now attempting to dial back what some perceive as an excessive leftward shift on social issues that may have contributed to the party’s losses in the previous November elections.

For example, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Black leader, recently vetoed a bill aimed at exploring reparations, previously passed by his state legislature. Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom has called it “unfair” for transgender athletes to compete in female college and youth sports. Rahm Emanuel, the former Chicago mayor and U.S. Ambassador to Japan, has publicly urged the party to move toward the political center.

“Stop talking about bathrooms and locker rooms and start talking about the classroom,” Emanuel stated, highlighting a disconnect between social issues and the educational needs of children. “If one child is trying to figure out their pronoun, I accept that, but the rest of the class doesn’t even know what a pronoun is,” he elaborated, pointing to the need for a more pragmatic discussion.

These candidates are either actively or passively addressing perceived weaknesses in their political backgrounds or the Democratic Party as a whole. Emanuel has labeled the Democratic Party as “weak and woke,” while Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) has called for an infusion of “alpha energy.” Others, like Newsom, seem to be acknowledging a need to recalibrate their socially liberal positions.

On the fronts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, some Democrats are signaling a reluctance to continue catering to their leftmost factions. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, for instance, removed his pronouns from his social media profiles months ago and has questioned the party’s approach to these discussions. In a recent forum at the University of Chicago, Buttigieg remarked, “Is it caring for people’s different experiences and making sure no one is mistreated because of them, which I will always fight for? Or is it making people sit through training that feels like something out of ‘Portlandia,’ which I have also experienced?” He added, “And it is how Trump Republicans are made.”

The current moment is ripe for moderate Democrats, with a network of consultants and strategists ready to support their repositioning efforts.

Ground zero for the party’s reverse pivot was this week’s WelcomeFest, likened to a moderate Democrats’ Coachella. Hundreds of centrist elected officials, candidates, and operatives gathered to reflect on their 2024 defeats and the party’s inclination toward purity tests. Panels featured prominent moderates like Slotkin, Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), who have been dubbed “legends of the moderate community.” Center-left data analyst David Shor also presented findings urging Democrats to abandon polarizing positions, such as “defund the police.”

Adam Frisch, a former congressional candidate and current director of electoral programs at Welcome PAC, expressed concerns that the party is “out of touch culturally with a lot of people.” He emphasized the need for Democrats to focus on what he terms the “pro-normal party coalition,” which prioritizes economic opportunity and prosperity over micro-social issues.

Then there’s Newsom, the liberal former mayor of San Francisco, who has also distanced himself from woke rhetoric. Earlier this year, he claimed to have never used the term “Latinx,” despite having employed it frequently in the past. During a podcast with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk—one of several MAGA figures he has hosted recently—Newsom expressed confusion over the term’s origins. “I just didn’t even know where it came from. What are we talking about?” he queried.

Newsom has also shifted his stance on certain LGBTQ+ issues, breaking with Democrats by opposing the inclusion of transgender women and girls in female college and youth sports, stating, “I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that.” This statement drew backlash from many in his LGBTQ+ support base.

On immigration matters, Newsom has toned down his rhetoric, avoiding the term “sanctuary” while still defending state laws limiting police cooperation with federal immigration authorities. He has also proposed significant cuts to a free health care program for undocumented immigrants amid California’s $12 billion budget deficit, although he recently joined other California Democrats in criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

Governor Moore, who recently visited South Carolina, vetoed legislation that would have initiated a study on reparations for descendants of slaves. He urged his fellow Democrats to avoid bureaucratic entanglements and instead focus on the Republican Party as the primary obstacle to progress.

“Donald Trump doesn’t need a study to dismantle democracy. He doesn’t need a study to use the Constitution like it’s a suggestion box,” Moore remarked at a dinner with party leaders, emphasizing the urgency of their political mission.

However, not all Democrats are retreating from social issues. Governors Andy Beshear of Kentucky, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Tim Walz of Minnesota have continued to advocate for progressive stances. Beshear has vetoed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation even during his reelection year and criticized Newsom for hosting conservative figures on his podcast. He contends that fairness in sports can be achieved without excluding transgender athletes.

“Surely, we can see some humanity and some different perspectives in this overall debate,” Beshear stated, framing his position within a moral context rooted in faith. Similarly, Walz criticized the abandonment of transgender rights, arguing that issues like the cost of eggs and healthcare are unrelated to gender identity. Pritzker has also condemned attacks on the transgender community, asserting that it is “vile and inhumane” to target such a vulnerable minority.

“Walz, [Sen. Chris] Murphy, Pritzker, Beshear—they’re not going around talking about it all the time, but they’re also not running away from their values,” noted an adviser to a potential 2028 candidate, highlighting a nuanced approach that balances social conviction with electoral strategy.

The Democratic Party’s reckoning with social issues is far from concluded. In 2021, then-Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro vehemently opposed a GOP bill that sought to ban trans athletes from women’s sports, calling it “cruel” and discriminatory. This year, however, as the Republican-controlled Senate passed a similar bill with some Democratic support, Shapiro has remained notably silent.

As it stands, the likelihood of the bill reaching a vote in the Democratic-dominated House is slim, allowing Shapiro to sidestep the issue—at least for now.

As Emanuel suggests, the party still has a long journey ahead to correct what he views as the excesses of recent years. “The core crux over the years of President [Joe] Biden’s tenure is that the party has appeared to be distracted by a series of tangential cultural issues,” he remarked, signaling the need for a return to grounded political discourse.

Dasha Burns, Dustin Gardner, Holly Otterbein, and Brakkton Booker contributed to this report.