ATLANTA (AP) – Dissatisfied with Democratic fortunes in the era of President Donald Trump, a group of prominent Democrats is forming an organization outside the formal party structure with the goal of winning again in Republican-dominated middle America.
Calling itself “New Democracy,” the group includes sitting and former governors, former Cabinet members, mayors and lawmakers from Congress to statehouses. Among the affiliated politicians: Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, considered a possible future presidential candidate; former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, also a former Iowa governor; and Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans, current head of the nonpartisan U.S. Conference of Mayors.
“We have to expand this party, and make it a bigger tent,” said Will Marshall, the Democratic policy veteran who is running the group.
Another one of the organizers, former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, told The Associated Press in a recent interview that Democrats “cannot be a successful national policy by winning races only on our two coasts.” The party, Beshear said, “has to get back to the basics and appeal to folks all over our country.”
The group plans to form affiliated political action committees to endorse and raise money for candidates. It has met twice in recent months and plans another gathering this fall in Iowa.