At DNC winter meetings, Democrats see hope in 2025 wins as Newsom, Harris loom large

Los Angeles — Democrats were feeling jubilant at this year's Democratic National Committee winter meetings after decisive victories in the off-year elections. Now, they say they are looking to build on the 2025 momentum as they approach next year's midterms — and beyond.

Two of the most prominent party leaders, both Californians, dominated conversations about 2028 at the annual gathering of party leaders. And there were a couple of clear signals from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris that both upcoming cycles are  on their minds. 

Newsom quietly switched the timing of his appearance at the conference, according to multiple sources familiar with the original schedule. One top party official said he had done so in order to avoid speaking on Friday, the same day as other potential 2028 presidential contenders. He did not want to share the  day, or headlines. Friday was the day Harris was set to deliver the keynote address to the gathering. Newsom changed his visit  to Thursday. A California Democrat close to Harris rolled their eyes when asked about the governor's maneuver. 

Democrats gave Newsom an enthusiastic welcome, clamoring for handshakes and selfies when he arrived. He told reporters he was there to thank party members for their help on Proposition 50, the ballot measure he championed to enable the legislature to redraw California's congressional map to make five GOP-held districts more friendly to Democrats. The move was intended to offset a Trump-driven redistricting push in Texas that would draw a map aimed at increasing the state's Republican congressional delegation by five.

The California governor said he wanted to help Democratic leaders in states like Missouri confront GOP redistricting efforts and help boost the party's chances of retaking the House in the 2026 midterm elections. 

" I'd be remiss If I didn't say 'hello'," he said, explaining his visit. He added that there was a "sense of optimism here." 

" The party, more broadly, I think is feeling like they got their sea legs back. They are winning and winning solves a lot of problems,"he said to reporters.

Newsom's redistricting initiative galvanized Democrats, Latino voters and young voters in California and beyond, uniting them against the GOP efforts to insulate Republicans from midterm losses. It became a broader rallying cry — especially among those attending the winter meeting, who told CBS News they're looking for "fighters" to lead them out of the political wilderness. 

The California venue meant home-state Democrats made up an outsize share of attendees, and they gave a warm welcome to their former senator and the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee when she arrived.

Chants of "Kamala! Kamala!" rang out. Harris wasted no time in seizing on Democrats' battle cry of  affordability, an issue that was more fraught when she was running as part of the administration, instead of in opposition to it.

"[Voters] want leaders who fight for affordability, for health care, for the right of people to participate in their democracy," she said. "Americans want leaders who fight for them, and that is what we will continue to do in 2026 as we compete in every state, in every district, and every level of government."

She then dropped the biggest hint that she is considering another presidential run.

 "Obviously, we must focus on the midterms, but Democrats, we must also have a clear vision for what comes after the midterms."

"You!" an audience member yelled.

Harris smiled and continued, "We need to answer the question, 'What comes next for our party, our democracy?' As we plan what comes after this administration, (we) cannot afford to be nostalgic for what was, in fact, a simple return to what existed in the past," Harris said. "The work ahead requires us to reinvent, to innovate, to inspire and understand that the task before us is not just a political project. It must be a project of civic renewal."

She called on Democrats for "a new commitment" that is "not commanded by big corporations or career politicians, not by the elite or wealthy, but by everyday citizens…for the betterment of the country, a commitment that declares that the power of this country does not belong to any king or set of oligarchs." It was one of her biggest applause lines.

One DNC voting member and senior Democratic operative told CBS News that Harris remains popular with Democrats: "She has great relationships with all these people and campaigned in a way that Gov. Newsom hasn't yet had the chance to."

For now — two years before a single primary vote will be cast — Harris "clearly has a big advantage when it comes to the party apparatus," the operative said. "But people are very excited to see everybody, including Gov. Newsom. Newsom is showing people how to fight back."

Many of the Democrats who attended the winter meeting campaigned for Harris during her 107-day sprint after President Joe Biden exited the 2024 race after his disastrous debate against President Trump and were thrilled by the possibility that Harris could run again. But not everyone sees the dynamic the same way. 

"Harris has to prove to a lot of people that she can be a good candidate again," a senior congressional adviser at the meeting told CBS News. "Newsom is already doing that" with the redistricting measure. The aide called it a "huge validation" of his approach.

Broadly, Democrats say they aren't only relying on anti-Trump messaging going into the midterms. After victories in this year's gubernatorial and mayoral races, the party is trying to emphasize campaign messages around Americans' economic concerns. The Democrats in the governor's races in New Jersey and Virginia and in the New York and Miami mayoral races made this the central focus of their successful campaigns, and party strategists are urging other candidates to adopt the same template. 

On Friday, DNC Chair Ken Martin put it bluntly in the packed hotel auditorium: "We know what's important right now. S*** is too expensive." 

Congress and the midterms

Many Democrats feel optimistic about their prospects in the House. The party in the White House almost always loses ground in midterms, and Mr. Trump's approval ratings have slid. They see the Senate as a steeper climb, with only a handful of clear opportunities for Democrats to win GOP-held seats. 

Democrats also still face challenges — the 2024 erosion of support among Latino voters and younger people and voters without college degrees, as well as internal disagreements among progressives and moderates, were top concerns for those at the L.A. meetings. But they were buoyed by the inroads their 2025 candidates have made with these parts of the electorate.

For this weekend, though, they chose to enjoy the momentum they finally seem to have with their off-year election wins. Party leaders told CBS News they see an opportunity to build on their victories, rather than just offering theoretical arguments and complaints about their failing strategy in last year's decisive defeat at the ballot box. 

Multiple Democrats who were asked if they expected a Democratic "wave" in 2026 — as some of their cohorts had predicted leading into the meetings — offered an emphatic and positive response.

"100%. Yes," one DNC voting member said. 

That confidence was underscored, Democrats said, by the pressure they're seeing inside GOP ranks — noting Indiana Republicans resisted Mr. Trump's GOP-friendly redistricting effort in their state. 

Democrats here saw it as a sign that the political terrain is shifting in their favor.

"We're not looking backward anymore," a California Democrat said after Harris' speech. "We're focused on what's working now: current Democratic governors, current fights, and current wins. Not the past."

The Democrat also pointed to a fundraiser on the sidelines of the meetings headlined by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who's often mentioned as a possible 2028 presidential contender. The event, emceed by Conan O'Brien, raised over $1 million for the DNC, according to several Democratic sources. It was the last political event attended by Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, before they were tragically killed over the weekend. Reiner was also a prominent Democratic party advocate and donor, and happily posed for photographs with his fellow Democrats in attendance. 

At another Democratic fundraiser in Los Angeles that closed out the weekend, former President Barack Obama said he feels "a new energy" since the party's off-year wins. The former president — whose 96% favorability rating among Democrats makes him one of the party's most popular figures — urged Democrats to focus on winning the midterms and developing "a better story" to tell voters, rather than on "nerdy" internal disagreements that he said most voters see as stuff "for college seminars."

"Of course there are going to be some tactical differences, but that shouldn't be our primary concern because we're fighting a bigger fight," Obama said, according to excerpts obtained by CBS News.