Since Kamala Harris’s crushing loss to Donald Trump in the 2024 election, Democrats have been scrambling to understand what went wrong. Pundits have pointed fingers at the party’s progressive wing, claiming that moving too far left alienated voters. But new polling suggests the opposite may be true.
A recent survey by Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, conducted for the progressive donor network Way to Win, reveals that many Biden voters who sat out the 2024 election weren’t turned off by progressive ideas — they wanted more of them. These disillusioned voters, Lake found, are deeply concerned with income inequality, health care access, and corporate accountability. And they’re looking for candidates who will fight unapologetically for those priorities.
“They’re very clear about what they want and what they thought was missing in 2024,” Lake told Rolling Stone. “They want leaders who will fight for everyone… They want to crack down on Big Pharma… They’re very populist.”
Among the most popular figures with these voters? Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who received 78% and 64% favorability ratings, respectively. California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also scored well, with 60% and 50% favorability.
The poll surveyed 822 registered voters in battleground states who voted for Joe Biden in 2020 but skipped the 2024 election. Many cited economic concerns and a lack of inspiring leadership as reasons for their absence at the polls. A full 62% said they would be “very likely” to support a Democrat in 2026 who centered their campaign on affordable health care and taxing the wealthy fairly.
Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, co-founder of Way to Win, believes these voters are “uniquely winnable.” She pointed to Trump’s recently passed “Big Beautiful Bill,” which slashes taxes for the rich and is expected to cause 17 million Americans to lose their health insurance.
“This is a golden opportunity for Democrats,” Ancona said. “These voters are really ready for messaging that goes on offense — to fight back against billionaire tax giveaways and health care cuts that hurt working families.”
