Midterm Strategy: Democrats Realign on Gaza, Borders, and Health Care

The United States enters its midterm election cycle with a Democratic party in flux. Two years after Donald Trump returned to the White House, candidates are adjusting their positions on sensitive issues to win back control of Congress. The adjustments range from softening previous stances to pushing further left, with some members openly defying party leadership.

This realignment follows a 2024 defeat for former Vice President Kamala Harris. Since that loss, internal divisions have widened. Establishment figures and self-styled moderates struggle to manage a rising wave of progressive populism led by groups like the Democratic Socialists of America. Consequently, policy positions now often vary by district and state rather than following a unified national line.

The most visible shift concerns Israel. More than 74,000 Palestinians have died in the war in Gaza, which started after the October 2023 attacks. Public opinion has turned. A Pew Research Center survey from earlier this year showed 60 percent of US adults hold an unfavorable view of Israel. Among Democrats, that figure reaches 80 percent.

Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, who is likely to lead the Senate Foreign Relations Committee if his party wins, told Politico this month that he wants a thorough reexamination of the relationship with Israel. He said he would consider sanctions against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This contrasts with 2024, when Harris ignored calls to include a Palestinian American speaker at the convention. Earlier this year, 40 Democratic senators voted to disapprove military sales to Israel, while only seven sided with Republicans. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who may become majority leader, insists the US commitment to Israel’s security must remain ironclad.

Transgender rights have also caused friction. Candidates in tight races have downplayed support for the community, particularly regarding sports participation. Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio ran an ad stating that boys should not play in girls' sports. Representative Don Davis of North Carolina called for a safe and fair space for women and girls. Senate candidate Annie Andrews of South Carolina opposed biological men playing in women's sports. These moves follow a 2024 Trump campaign ad that emphasized Harris’s support for transgender Americans.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pushed back at a town hall in Portland, Maine, on Thursday. She told a transgender student who felt abandoned that some in her party were wrong. She expressed shame that people scare so easily after an election and argued that compromising trans rights compromises the rights of all citizens.

Immigration policy has split the party as well. Customs and Border Protection recorded over 8 million border encounters between 2021 and 2025. In Texas, Senate candidate James Talarico calls himself a border security Democrat. He backs stronger enforcement along with comprehensive reform. Lucas Holtz of the Third Way group said these stances work because they are proactive. On the left, the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis earlier this year have fueled calls to abolish or overhaul ICE.

Health care remains an area of general agreement on the need for government involvement, but the methods differ. Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed supports Medicare for All. Andrews wants lapsed Affordable Care Act subsidies restored and limits on insurer profits. KFF polling shows 66 percent of US adults now back Medicare for All, a 13 point increase since October 2020. Holtz noted that all Democrats want to move toward universal coverage in the best way possible.