Democrats should focus on the economy, but "the brand is a mess," Congressman Tom Suozzi says
New York Congressman Tom Suozzi says the Democratic Party has plenty of obstacles to overcome to defeat Republicans and retake control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections.
Suozzi, who was reelected in a Long Island district that President Trump also won in 2024, said he's concerned that Democrats' messaging is not aligning with what most voters are thinking across the United States.
"The brand is a mess. The Democratic brand is in trouble. If you poll the American people and you say what are the issues you care about the most, they say the economy or affordability, immigration, taxes, crime and health care. If you ask those same people what do you think the Democrats are pushing, they say choice, LGBT protections, health care, a little bit of crossover there, saving democracy and climate change," he said during an interview on CBS News New York's "The Point with Marcia Kramer."
Suozzi said those are all important issues, but not top of mind for most voters. He said Democrats' priorities should be on affordability and lowering taxes, specifically on fully restoring the state and local tax deduction after Republicans raised the cap from $10,000 to $40,000 in the president's "big, beautiful bill."
"If they think you're gonna just tax them all and make it more expensive for them, you're not gonna serve their interests," he said. "I give credit to the Republicans from New York and other places in the country ... that pushed to get this, and that was good that they did, but we wish it was more ... We wanted at least $80,000."
Suozzi worries about face of Democratic Party
Suozzi said part of the problem with Democrats' affordability argument is who Americans perceive as the face of the party. He believes most see Democratic socialists like Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and even New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, who pledges to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers, as frontrunners.
"I don't think that is the winning message for the Democratic party," he said.
Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor after making his signature campaign promises to freeze rent, eliminate bus fares and open city-run grocery stores. Suozzi said Mamdani is right to focus on lowering costs, like the president, but his ideas are not as popular nationally.
"His diagnosis of the issue is proper, that people are economically insecure, but his solutions, socialism, raising taxes in New York City ... providing everything from the government, is not the right answer," he said.
Suozzi does not think House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Brooklyn native, should endorse Mamdani.
"I think it would be bad for the Democratic Party nationwide," he said. "Zohran Mamdani and other Democratic socialists should create their own party because I don't want that in my party. I believe in free enterprise."
Tax and spend responsibly, and support police
Suozzi said New York, like other blue states, needs to find ways to be competitive with red states, like Texas and Florida, where taxes are lower.
"We have to figure out how we can tax and spend responsibly, in a way that makes people's lives better, which I believe in many instances it does, like supporting unions for example ... but we have to go after waste, fraud and (abuse)," he said. "That's not a Republican message, going after waste, fraud and abuse. I went after [it] when I was county executive, when I was mayor and we're doing that in Congress as well."
He also said Democrats need to be clear and support the police.
"We must support law enforcement. It's essential. I'm one of the few Democrats who was endorsed by the police unions in my last elections," he said.
Suozzi returned to Congress in 2024 after winning the special election to replace expelled GOP Rep. George Santos. Suozzi previously held the office from 2017-2023, but opted to run for governor instead of seeking a fourth term at the time.
