What It Means To Be A Democrat

101 years ago, in December 1924, Franklin Delano Roosevelt wrote a circular letter to Democrats across the country that included a simple but powerful question:

What does it mean to be a Democrat?

At the time, the Party was fractured, directionless, and unsure of its identity. FDR’s letter helped ignite the vision that would ultimately guide Democrats for decades and help rebuild America.

Last month, I mailed a new Letter to Democrats to every Democratic County Committee across New York, seeking input on the same vital question.

The responses came from every corner of New York—from Long Island and New York City, the Hudson Valley and Capital Region, Central and Western New York, the Southern Tier and the North Country.

Some came from county committees. Others from dozens of individual rank-and-file Democrats. I also reviewed public statements and platforms of all 62 county committees, which offered even more insight into how Democrats across New York define themselves today.

Some responses were a sentence. Others were lengthy essays. Some hopeful. Others frustrated.

Taken together, they reveal something important:

• Democrats across New York care deeply about America and its people.

• But we care about many causes. Likely too many.

We risk being pulled in so many different directions that voters are unsure—and unconvinced—about what we actually stand for.

And yet, within that noise, I found a clear signal:

To be a Democrat is to believe that government should empower people with real economic security and opportunity, protect their rights and safety, and serve the common good with competence and integrity. It means a party focused on delivering results and making government work again, for everyone.

Why This Matters Right Now

Yes, Democrats had strong results in the 2025 elections across New York and the country.

Yes, polling shows Democrats with a modest advantage over Republicans in the 2026 generic ballot.

Yes, resisting Trump and the extremism of the MAGA movement remains essential.

But even a blue wave doesn’t solve our deeper challenge—especially when recent shifts have more to do with Republican chaos, corruption, and mismanagement than with a renewed, compelling vision from Democrats.

Too many Americans still don’t know what Democrats stand for, beyond what we stand against.

If we want to build something lasting—not just beat something dangerous—we cannot be content with being “the lesser of two evils” in the minds of voters.

Recent polling shows:

• 75% of Americans say they are frustrated with the Democratic Party—a sharp increase from four years ago.

• Americans’ feelings of hope and pride in Democrats have fallen to historic lows.

According to new research from the Center for Working-Class Politics, Democrats face something known as the “Democratic Penalty”—an up to 10–15 point disadvantage among working-class voters simply for being Democrats.

Not because those voters reject our values—but because they doubt we’ll deliver on them.

“A big part of the story here is also that people just don’t believe that the Democrats are going to deliver on the things that they talk about. And that’s a huge problem.”
— Jared Abbott, Center for Working-Class Politics

There are very few places in New York (or anywhere) where you can consistently win while starting 10–15 points behind. If voters don’t believe we can deliver, it doesn’t matter how long our list of priorities is, it just sounds like more empty promises on a pile.

Democrats care deeply, genuinely, and broadly. But that breadth has created a problem.

The Crowding Out Problem

What I heard from Democrats across New York and saw in committee platforms and websites was an extraordinary passion for the values we fight for.

But I also saw something harder to ignore: a sprawling list of priorities that risks diluting our message and making it harder for voters to identify with our party—or trust that we can deliver.

Some county committees pointed me to the official 2024 National Democratic Party Platform — a 92-page document.

Others host their own custom, detailed platform, like the Nassau County Democrats which has a 16-plank platform or the Columbia County Democrats with 28-planks.

The individual responses I received reflected the same breadth. Democrats referenced dozens and dozens of distinct causes and priorities, including:

Affordable housing, healthcare, climate, jobs and wages, democracy, voting rights, public education, reproductive freedom, unions, equality, broadband, mental health, veterans’ services, environmental protections, racial justice, income inequality, childcare, care for seniors, LGBTQ+ equality, gun violence prevention, immigration, rural investment, cryptocurrency regulation, and on and on.

Democrats care about almost everything. But when everything is a priority, nothing is.

The Searchlight Institute captures this problem with the term “crowding out”.

“Voters are incredibly clear about their priorities: healthcare, prices, jobs and wages. It’s not that they think Democrats don’t care about those things; it’s more that they think Democrats are trying to care about a lot of things, all the time. Voters don’t seem to be persuaded by the idea that you can care about everything at once and still give sufficient focus to each issue.”

Too many priorities competing for attention leaves no clear center of gravity to organize around. It makes it harder for voters — and even for Democrats ourselves — to articulate the core mission of the party.

And that’s what surfaced in the responses from across New York: a party that cares deeply, about almost everything—and, as a result, risks being trusted to deliver on nothing.

The answer isn’t to stop caring. It’s to be clear about what we focus on, what we organize around, and what we deliver.

So I went looking for the center of gravity and the common threads that could become a unifying mission.

What New York Democrats Told Me

For all the breadth of issues and priorities, something else became clear as I read through every individual submission and county platform:

There was a remarkably consistent heartbeat. Democrats kept coming back to three core responsibilities we believe a democratic government must fulfill:

Empower. Protect. Serve.

This, I believe, is the through-line of what it means to be a Democrat in New York today. A three-pillar mission that came directly from New York Democrats themselves.

EMPOWER

Economic Security and Opportunity

From the rural North Country to New York City, the single most consistent demand of Democrats was clear: real economic security and a fair shot to build a decent life.

Democrats want to empower people to stand on solid ground and thrive in a rapidly changing economy that too often feels rigged in favor of corporations and the already-wealthy. Over and over, they described wanting a government that tilts the playing field back toward working and middle-class people.

They talked about:

• an economy that works for the many, not the powerful few

• good wages and good jobs

• affordable housing, healthcare, and childcare

• education as a ladder of mobility and resilience

• a tax system that rewards hard work more than accumulated wealth

• dignity and security for working people

Democrats described the working and middle class as doing everything right and still struggling to get ahead—paying more for housing, childcare, healthcare, and groceries while seeing corporations post record profits. For them, empowerment is the promise that hard work will actually lead to stability, dignity, and a better life for their kids.

In their words:

“Being a Democrat means making sure that in America no one is left behind or cheated out of an opportunity to be safe, happy, healthy, and prosperous.” — Herkimer County

“Democrats believe that all people deserve the ability to pursue their dreams and fulfill their potential.” — New York County (Manhattan)

“Build a stronger and fairer economy, provide a world class education in every zip code, achieve universal, affordable, quality health care.” —Westchester County

“Niagara County succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules. We are focused on building our local economy, fighting for fair wages, better working conditions, healthcare for all Niagara County residents.” — Niagara County

“We have steadfastly become the party that has fought for healthcare as a human right, increased minimum wage, union labor rights, and comprehensive immigration reform that includes a solution for our DREAMers both locally and nationwide.” — Bronx County

Our job is to empower people with real economic security and opportunity—and invite voters to judge us by whether we actually deliver.

PROTECT

Safety, Freedom, and Democracy

The second theme was protection—government’s fundamental obligation.

Across these responses is a shared conviction: Democrats must be the party that protects people’s rights and safety—that stands guard over the basic security of our communities, over the Constitution, and over people’s freedoms.

Democrats across New York named threats to:

• public safety and community security

• democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law

• civil rights and voting rights

• personal freedom and equality

• vulnerable and marginalized communities

• reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy

• the exploitation of workers

• our environment and climate

In their words:

“We recognize the importance of well-funded and properly trained public safety agencies to ensure the safety and security of our communities. We support adequate resources for police, fire departments, emergency services, and other first responders to effectively carry out their vital roles.” — Nassau County

“We believe in the Constitution to guide our Country, State and Local governments. We believe in a government that preserves and protects the People’s rights as stated in the Constitution.” — Tioga County

“Democrats stand for protecting civil rights, voting rights, women’s rights.”— St. Lawrence County

“No other issue matters if the Nation and the Constitution are destroyed.” — Essex County

“Being a Democrat means protecting human rights, civil rights, and the environment.” — Schoharie County

Protect isn’t an abstract principle. It is the foundation of security and liberty that makes a full and free life possible. New York Democrats aren’t talking about stoking fear to win elections; they’re talking about protecting people’s rights, safety, and dignity so they can live their lives in freedom.

SERVE

Competence, Trust, and the Common Good

The third theme was about who government is supposed to serve—and how.

New York Democrats desire public service, not performative politics. They want a party that treats public office as a trust, not a perk. They want results, not rhetoric. They want government that serves the people, not the powerful few.

They talked about:

• government as a tool to solve shared problems

• public office as civic duty, not personal enrichment

• leaders who are honest, accountable, and focused on outcomes

• putting the common good above ego and party

• restoring trust through competence, transparency, and delivery

In their words:

“To be a Democrat is to recognize that we in this nation are all connected, dependent on one another. We see the government as the tool we use to manage this fact of interdependence, so that we can make collective decisions about our collective fate.” — Seneca County

“Being a Democrat means standing up for working families…ensuring government is accessible, transparent, and responsive to the people it serves…government should work for everyday people, not just the well-connected.” — Dutchess County

“Striving to benefit the general welfare with special attention to those who need it” — Tompkins County

“We believe in public service as civic duty, and not for personal gain.” — Tioga County

“We have a common vision, the greater good.” — Oneida County

“Good Government: County and town governments should function efficiently, fairly, and in a transparent manner.” — Columbia County

The message is clear: Democrats want to be the party that serves and delivers—the party that breaks with business-as-usual, runs government well at every level, and uses power in service of the people, not the powerful.

The good news is that the voters we’ve lost and the Democrats who stay home aren’t asking us to become something we’re not. They share the same top concerns: the cost of living, good jobs, safe communities, and a government that isn’t rigged against them. When we focus relentlessly on empowering people to build a decent life, protecting their safety and freedoms, and serving the common good well, we’re speaking to common cause — not just for Democrats, but for all Americans who feel like the system has stopped working for them.

The Way Forward

Much ink has been spilled drawing dividing lines within the Democratic Party: center vs. left, moderate vs. progressive, upstate “blue dog” vs. downstate democratic socialist.

But if we listen closely to what New York Democrats told us — from Niagara to Nassau — we start to see the common threads that unite and define us. We are fighting for the same thing: a government that isn’t captured by corporations, that rewards hard work, that keeps people safe, and that treats public service as a trust instead of a grift.

So, what does it mean to be a Democrat?

To be a Democrat is to believe that government should empower people with real economic security and opportunity, protect their rights and safety, and serve the common good with competence and integrity.

At our best, Democrats believe government should work for the people. Government is the tool “We the People” use to solve big problems together — to build roads and schools, protect rights and freedoms, keep communities safe, create the conditions where hard work is rewarded, and invest in the future.

From everything New York Democrats shared, a clear unifying mission emerges:

Our mission is:

Empower people with real economic security and opportunity;
Protect people–their rights, their safety, and our democracy; and
Serve people with competent government that delivers for the common good.

That’s it. That’s the center of gravity we’ve been missing.

Empower, Protect, Serve provides a simple test for every policy, budget, and campaign. If it fits within this mission, we fight for it. If not, we don’t. That’s the discipline needed to rebuild trust that Democrats will deliver.

And it’s important to note that our mission doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It stands in sharp contrast to the Republican approach.

Republicans today treat government as something to break, defund, or weaponize — a tool for rewarding the wealthy and punishing political enemies. Their focus is on exploiting fear, dividing people against each other, and tearing down parts of government that serve ordinary people.

But Democrats can’t just be the party that cares more. We have to be the party that delivers more—on affordability, on safety, and on a government people can trust.

From what I heard across New York, that means we need to do three things:

1. Narrow our priorities around economic security for working and middle-class people. Put paychecks, prices, housing, healthcare, and childcare at the center of our message and our governing agenda. Not as five items on a list of fifty, but as the organizing mission of the party.

2. Make protection of our communities, our rights, and our democracy the non-negotiable foundation. Be crystal clear that we are the party that takes public safety, community security, and a fair, orderly immigration system seriously and defends the Constitution, voting rights, civil rights, reproductive freedom, and the rule of law. No one lives free if they don’t live safe.

3. Treat public service as a trust and prove we can run government well. At every level — from town supervisor to the Oval Office — Democrats need to be known as the people who fix what’s broken, balance the books, spend taxpayer dollars wisely, and measure success by real-world results, not viral clips.

If we’re serious about renewing this party—and this country—that’s where we start.

When we’re successful, a union member in the North Country, a retiree on Long Island, a young parent in the Hudson Valley, and a new college grad in NYC should all be able to say: “I know what Democrats stand for. I see how it touches my life. And I believe they can actually get it done.”

New York Democrats have given us, in their own words, an essential element of renewal: a clear mission to define the party and organize around. The next step is on us — to stay focused, deliver results, and prove this mission in practice. My commitment is to keep listening, refining it with Democrats across New York, and helping build the campaigns and executive leaders who can turn it into real impact in New Yorkers’ lives.