As Published in Newsweek
By Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02)
If there's one theme you're going to see this cycle, it's that Center-Left candidates up and down the ballot will win their elections.
This shouldn't come as a surprise. New Dems, the 100-Member coalition of moderates in the House, have known for years that leading from the middle not only wins elections, but also yields real results in Washington. While the loudest voices on both sides will downplay the electoral impact of the Center-Left and claim credit, we know the truth. This is the reason our Coalition is so strong.
Let's look at the facts:
In the last three election cycles, New Dem candidates have outperformed all other ideological caucuses in the House. In 2018, New Dems flipped 32 of 40 seats blue. In the hard-fought 2020 election, New Dems flipped the most seats of any House caucus. And in 2022, New Dems held off the much-heralded "red wave" by flipping seven key seats, winning 11 open seats and defending 22 frontline Members.
This is just a snapshot. When New Dems—pragmatic, mainstream candidates and incumbents—go up against weird, MAGA extremists, our candidates win nearly every time. On top of that, New Dems have proven we can win primaries against far-Left challengers; we won three critical races last cycle in Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan, giving Democrats the best chance to win in the general election.
As a result, New Dems are the largest and one of the most influential caucuses in the House.
Our Members wholeheartedly believe that making progress is what's truly progressive, and you cannot let perfect be the enemy of the good. Bipartisan legislation is lasting legislation and change; that's why we focus on leading from the middle out and building broad, bipartisan support for our initiatives.
In 2020, President Biden and Vice President Harris won because they share this same pragmatic approach to governing. In the 2024 election, with the no-nonsense, down-to-earth, and authentic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz by her side, Harris will do it again by approaching politics with commonsense rather than chaos. Like New Dems, these leaders don't believe in litmus tests, but rather embracing a big tent approach that welcomes Americans across the political spectrum.
The Center-Left's effectiveness is clear: Just look at the last four years. By working across the aisle and leading from the middle, New Dems and the Biden-Harris administration passed historic, once-in-a-generation bipartisan legislation to strengthen our nation's crumbling infrastructure, revive manufacturing industries, create good-paying jobs, improve public safety, give our veterans the benefits they deserve, and so much more. If the past four years have shown us anything, it's that the Center-Left is stronger than ever—and growing stronger every day.
The contrast between Republicans and Democrats couldn't be clearer. The 2024 election is not just between two individuals, or even two parties. It's between mainstream vs. extreme. Normal vs. weird. Justice vs. lawlessness. A vision for the future vs. an agenda to take us back to the past.
On top of setting up a clear juxtaposition between a Harris and a Trump presidency, there is now a deafening difference between the vice presidential candidates and the next generation of political leaders. Donald Trump selected JD Vance, the supposed future of the Republican Party, who has attacked and offended so many people in such a short period of time, it's hard to keep track. From arguing that people with children should get more votes than people without, to arguing that the government should monitor and control women's bodies, he's demonstrated repeatedly that not only is his view of our nation really creepy, but also scary and harmful.
Meanwhile, Vice President Harris' running mate Governor Walz has always gone to work for the common good and put others before himself: Just look at his record. He is a veteran who has fought for our country, a school teacher and football coach who has educated future generations, and a bipartisan lawmaker and governor who has cut taxes, grown the economy, and protected our freedoms. He's truly the authentic and selfless candidate we need in this moment.
We've seen time and time again, in matchup after matchup, that the Center-Left path—defined by common sense, conviction, bipartisanship and progress—is one that overwhelmingly outperforms the far-right MAGA movement that threatens Americans' fundamental freedoms, the future of our democracy, and our livelihoods.
The 2024 election will be no different—because New Dems are Harris-Walz Dems.