Exclusive: Democrats want new leaders, focus on pocketbook issues, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

[Passages]

By James Oliphant and Jason Lange

June 19, 20256:11 AM EDT
Updated June 19, 2025

62% of Democrats polled say party needs new leadership
Democrats in poll seek focus on economic issues ahead of midterms
Poll shows rank-and-file Democrats see disconnect from party leaders on issues

WASHINGTON, June 19 (Reuters) - Democrats want new leaders for their party, which many feel isn't focusing enough on economic issues and is over-emphasizing issues like transgender rights and electric vehicles, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
The poll identified a deep disconnect between what Democrats say their priorities are and the issues they believe party leaders care about most ahead of next year's midterm elections, when they hope to crack Republican control of Congress. They see their elected officials as not focused on helping families make ends meet and reducing corporate influence.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/democrats-want-new-leaders-focus-pocketbook-issues-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2025-06-19/


If you can't read the writing on the wall.......

[lovesfruit]

1. This doesn't surprise me

I’m one of younger Dems. The desire for new leadership seems to be a sentiment shared amongst my friends and acquaintances.

Thanks for the share!

[littlemissmartypants]

2. I'm an older Dem and I agree.

Most of us have been marching, protesting, volunteering, donating and more since the 60s/70s.

I personally, am exhausted. Time for the next generational group of energetic, patriotic Democrats to get busy.

I'm sure you'll do us all proud.

❤️

[Deminpenn]

14. I could not agree more

Had I been polled, would have given the exact same responses.

[Abstractartist]

3. I agree

I agree… I believe our party is stagnant and in need of new, younger, more progressive leadership. I know many will not agree with me on this, but sometimes things need to be said, not just thought of….. I believe the party needs to rethink its priorities pertaining to immigration, seniors, LGBTQ issues, and others. We need to push for reforms for all our problems and priorities, NOT just sound like we care about just trying to bring in votes.

Our next democratic controlled congress and white house must develop an immigration plan that actually works. Border security that works, Social programs that work for its citizens…. Healthcare for all is a must.

[LuvLoogie]

4. We ALWAYS talk about economic issues.

In terms of what benefits all. But the GOPs demonize and attack aspects of our Democratic demographic with bigotry. And it works because Democrats are going to throw the LGBTQ-BIPOC to the side to become GOP 1980s. Nobody talks about the environment anymore either.

It's all tied to economics. We champion trans rights because THEY ARE FUCKING HUMAN BEINGS.

Gets some balls Dems, and make the GOPs pay a price for their feeding of bigotries. Call out the media.

I have no faith, though. Not in this party as a counter to the racist shit show running things now. We're just punks.

[dalton99a]

5. Kick

[usonian]

6. I want fighters.

While the party and many leaders have been putting out press releases, speaking to small groups and the legislature.

BERNIE AND AOC are taking it to the people and scoring.

198 events in 12 states

Recent email:

The Fighting Oligarchy tour is on the road again. So far, we’ve held 198 events in 12 states - speaking to over 260,000 people. Now, we’re adding 3 more states to that list.

Tomorrow, I will be in Texas for the first of three events. We will also be doing events over the weekend in Louisiana and Oklahoma - including some very rural areas.

So. Why are we doing rallies in three very red states? The answer is obvious. We’ve got to educate, organize and mobilize working people in EVERY state in the country to fight oligarchy, authoritarianism, kleptocracy and the massive cuts to Medicaid, nutrition and education that Trump is proposing.

The truth is that the ruling class agenda is NOT popular. Very few Americans believe that it’s appropriate for one person to own more wealth than the bottom 52% of households; that we provide massive tax breaks to billionaires; and that we maintain a corrupt campaign finance system that allows the very rich to buy elections.

Most Americans understand, no matter where they live, that the current economic and political systems are rigged and broken in favor of the rich and that we need fundamental changes. They want a government and economic policies that benefit all, not just the wealthy few.

Sadly, the Democratic Establishment is incapable and uninterested in mounting grassroots working class movements. Also, their economic agenda, to the degree that they have one, is very weak. Opposing Trump’s disastrous policies are enormously important. But it’s not enough. We need to provide a bold working class alternative agenda - based on economic, social, racial and environmental justice. And that’s what the Fighting Oligarchy tour is all about.

I also want you to know that we are not just doing rallies, as important as they are.

We have hired organizers in a number of states with Republican members of Congress who are now bringing people together to oppose Trump‘s “Big Beautiful Bill” and to lay the groundwork for a successful 2026 election.

We have mobilized thousands of volunteers in over a dozen states to do the same. We are also helping many hundreds of new candidates learn how to run for office for school board, city council, state representative and other local and statewide positions.

----
Bernie's short message is posted here:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/13243041
copy and paste:

People attending rallies in huge numbers are saying
YES to raising the minimum wage,
YES to expanding Social Security,
YES to guaranteeing health care as a human right,
YES to cutting the cost of prescription drugs,
YES to paid family and medical leave,
YES to equal pay for equal work,
YES to more affordable housing,
YES to making childcare and higher education affordable to all,
YES to taking on the existential threat of climate change.

And most importantly they are saying
YES to a government and an economy that works for all of us and not just the billionaire class and the Oligarchs.



THEY ALL SHOULD BE OUT RAISING HELL
Tons of money do no good when you're not delivering the message when it counts,
which is RIGHT FUCKING NOW.

[Cheezoholic]

17. Absolutely Damn Right! I've given over 10k dollars to Democrats since 2015 alone. That's A LOT of money to me

I want my goddamn moneys worth or I want it back. Fuck this high road shit. Never liked it to begin with. I have been fully aware of what we're up against my entire LIFE! You don't stop that kind of hate with understanding, it must be snuffed out and pushed back into the dark corners where it belongs BY FORCE! I spent my first 12 years of adulthood being strangled by these motherfuckers and here I am in my last years and they're trying to finish the job off. I've literally been beaten, bled, been incarcerated had mine and my family's lives threatened to this day for the cause. Since 1980 I have so few heroes in my party, so few who didn't fall into the grasp of the neo-liberal cash cow. How many of those that promised to fight these bastards are sitting at the 19th hole having cocktails with those same evil fucks right now?

Your response is so right on the money. EVERYONE WANTS THE BIG MONEY OUT OF OUR BODY POLITIC!!

Democrats better listen to the people or the blood coming will be on their hands as much as Mordors.

[somsai]

7. Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, agree on many issues

at the 75% to 80% rate or higher, but we never ever seem to do more than list them on our platform. For years it's been known that the public supports the Democratic positions on issues, the problem is we do nothing about those issues, and now the Republicans are stealing some of them. There's a bill in the senate now to raise the min to $15, it's not our senator who introduced it. We need to take back our issues and run with them.

All Sides has a similarity hub https://www.allsides.com/similarity that lists 700 issues we agree on to some extent or another. You can set the parameters for specific subjects and the most agreement to close to 50% or by what year the poll was taken. Sources are also rated from strong liberal to strong conservative.

We can agree amongst ourselves, and more than half of Republicans can agree with us, but if a strong enough interest group and if the wealthy don't agree, we have a problem. Also while some of our leaders are very good on these issues they are also strongly supportive of other issues that are in the 20% or less range, and it's very difficult to get anyone to support a candidate who is associated with fringe issues that no one likes.

https://www.allsides.com/similarity

[cadoman]

8. the party that could make the average voters life better would stay in power forever

The sad reality looking back is that even policy like Obamacare--that seemed like a huge win at the time and came at enormous political cost--didn't ultimately translate into a net benefit for the public. Here we are nearly twenty years later and now instead of just the most poor being unable to afford healthcare, no one can. We pay in more than ever and somehow the result is we're sicker than ever??

Housing is more expensive than ever, despite generous rate subsidies and plentiful low cost labor from undocumented immigrants. Housing will go up even more now that those laborers have been taken into concentration camps.

Education is more expensive than ever, and no longer seems to be a consistent pathway to a good career. Many of our graduates struggle to pay their debt even after decades of working.

Few young people can afford to even consider the idea of starting a family.

$15 an hour seemed like a luxurious dream in 2010. Now, it's a poverty level wage in most places.

All the public wants is a basic sense of solidarity and that a hard days work translates to a bit of savings, rather than a bit of debt. Why, after half a century of technological advances, are so many struggling so badly?

[GoodRaisin]

9. I agree we should run on economics economics economics and I would also like to see

saving social security as part of the platform. Remove the cap on the payroll tax and move the full retirement age back up to 65.

[Passages]

10. Yes, all popular and much of the public is looking for economic relief.

[Gum Logger]

12. Dumbocrats get so comfortable inside the august precinct of Capital Hill that they become too erudite

to interact with the Lee Atwater political cesspool

[Paladin]

13. Democratic leadership isn't taking advantage of trump's non-stop fuckups.

trump is basically handing the country back to us---the fact that we're not taking full advantage of it is a severe indictment of the current direction of the party.

[Skittles]

15. tired, tired, TIRED of seeing the same faces for DECADES

PASS THE FUCKNG BATON ALREADY

[myohmy2]

16. YES...

...the opposition had running a convicted felon who tried to overturn an election and thwart Constitution by stopping the transfer power and we couldn't convince a majority of the American people that we were better than that...

...what did that say about us...?

...if this doesn't scream out for a change of leadership, what does...?

...