In the wake of major wins for Democrats on election night last week, and what many see as a misstep by Senate Democrats who voted to end the government shutdown Sunday, blue voters nationwide have been questioning where the party is headed. In a panel discussion organized by the Denver Young Democrats (DYD) on Thursday titled “What’s Next for Our Party?”, community members, both young and old, came out to hear what that future could look like.
The panel, held at the Democratic Party of Denver (DPOD) headquarters in RiNo, included two candidates running for office, Rayna Kingston (for a Denver State House Seat) and Melat Kiros (for the U.S. House), as well as members of the DYD executive board and DPOD officials.
Among the topics addressed by panelists were the role of social media in campaigns, affordability, and the need to get money out of politics. Also aired was a healthy dose of criticism of fellow Democrats.
“We weren’t talking about the issues that I think mattered to people most. We kind of tried to wish things away,” said Levi Griffith, one of the panelists and DYD’s community liaison, in response to a question on why Democrats lost the 2024 presidential election. “But if you look at last week’s election, and you look at why so many candidates won, it’s because we … have learned that when you address these issues, and you talk to people where they’re at, people are excited to vote for Democrats.”
One sentiment that ran through all the panelists’ answers was that the Democratic Party can’t take its base for granted and that it must work to earn its voters’ trust back, with Kiros describing the problem as the party having “failed to acknowledge its role in getting us into this mess.”
This event, which saw about 25 attendees, was the first of what organizers hope will be many more community discussions aimed at engaging young voters and giving them a platform to voice their opinions on the party’s direction. Luke Miller, president of DYD and a moderator for the discussion, hopes that events like these can generate a constructive conversation about what the party should stand for, not just what it’s against.
“So much of our politics is about who we’re fighting,” said Miller in an interview with the Colorado Times Recorder. “When you talk to conservatives, a lot of it is that they feel like Trump cares about them, and that Democrats don’t. I want young people to see that there are alternatives.”
Panelists and attendees alike agreed that the party is in desperate need of fresh faces. Many pointed to Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race as evidence that voters are ready for new blood.
“There’s not just one Zohran, there’s plenty of people in so many other states that we can also look into and take note of,” said Micaela Parker, a panelist and the secretary of the Democratic Party of Denver. “There’s no reason we can’t have free busing — and the RTD board election is next November.”
