Democrats Gather in Denver to Debate the Party's Future After Midterm Wins

Democrats are meeting in Denver for a two-day conference, starting November 12, 2026, to debate the direction of their party after winning control of Congress in the midterm elections held in November. The gathering is called What's Next, and according to Al Jazeera, it is meant as a forum for that debate.

Majority Democrats, a group chaired by Massachusetts Representative Jake Auchincloss, organized the event. The group planned the conference before the midterms took place. Midterm elections are held between presidential contests, and this year's results gave Democrats control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the two chambers of Congress. Democrats are preparing to take over both chambers in January 2027.

Several prominent figures are listed as attendees. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker have been announced as participants. Texas Senator-elect James Talarico and Iowa Senator-elect Josh Turek, both of whom won seats that had been held by the other party, are scheduled to attend. A senator-elect is a winner who has not yet been sworn into office.

California Representative Ro Khanna and Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen are also attending. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who leads the party's members in the House, is a confirmed attendee and is scheduled to speak on Friday about the 120th Congress, the session that begins in January 2027.

The program includes several panels. Khanna, Van Hollen, and New Jersey Senator Andy Kim are scheduled to discuss "The Trust Deficit," a session on the loss of public trust. Shapiro, Senator Elissa Slotkin, and Senator Ruben Gallego are set to speak about what the next era of the Democratic Party may look like.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders do not appear on the published list of speakers for the conference.