Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) said the Democratic Party is failing to connect with voters due to insensibility.
“I think voters feel like Democrats have sort of been a‑‑holes to them,” McBride told Politico’s Dasha Burns during an interview for “The Conversation” set to air Sunday.
McBride, a first-term lawmaker, made history in November by becoming the first transgender member of Congress.
“I do think that a voter asks two questions when they’re considering who to vote for. The first question is: Does this candidate, does this party like me? And by extension, do they respect me?” she told Burns.
“If you can’t answer that first question to a voter’s satisfaction, they won’t even get to the second question, which is: What does this party think? What does this candidate think? And I think we lost that first question,” McBride added.
Democrats are reeling from widespread election losses in November, leading to a Republican trifecta.
Party members are working to regain voters’ attention ahead of midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race.
For McBride, a major objective is to rally working-class Americans on behalf of Democrats.
“I do think that we have to basically create a tent that is united on three fundamental principles,” McBride said in the interview, which was recorded Wednesday, according to Politico.
“One is working people need more support and help. Two, democracy and freedom are good. And three, we’re not going to be a‑‑holes to voters.”
The Delaware Democrat said to remove the negative stigma, party members need to combat online rhetoric that isolates or alienates different demographics.
“The reality in today’s environment is that your party ecosystem is defined not just by politicians or the party, but also some of the loudest voices online that in voters’ minds reflect and represent that broader coalition,” McBride said.
“When we have an environment where we’ve got some very loud people who are shaming and calling people who disagree with them — even in rhetoric — bigots, when we have those folks saying that to a wide swath of voters, including voters we could win, and we aren’t explicitly stating something to the contrary, then a voter will then just paint us all with one broad brush,” she added.
