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Last year, the Democrats lost the White House and control of the Senate. This year, the party has done noticeably better in special elections. The Democratic National Committee says it's investing more time and more resources into federal, state and local races. NPR political correspondent Stephen Fowler sat down with DNC Chairman Ken Martin over the weekend and he asked if that plan seems to be working.
STEPHEN FOWLER, BYLINE: Why is the head of the Democratic Party in a suburban Atlanta coffee shop on a random Saturday in September?
KEN MARTIN: Well, I'll tell you why. We've got a really important state Senate special election here in Senate District 21, which we are investing in. We believe we have a real shot at winning.
FOWLER: In that special election runoff this past Tuesday, they did not flip the deep-red seat. But Martin and others in the party do view it as a win because the Democrat, Debra Shigley, improved the party's margin by double digits from November. For their part, Republicans aren't concerned and tout their own enthusiasm. Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon said the victory was because Republicans, quote, "cut through the noise with a coordinated investment in digital and social media messages to get out the vote."
MARTIN: You know, the reality is what we're seeing right now, of course, is a lot of enthusiasm amongst Democrats. People are energized. People understand that we have to stand up and fight back.
FOWLER: Because it's not a one-off result. In about 40 special elections since President Trump was reelected in November, Democrats have overperformed by an average of about 15%. In an interview before this week's elections, Martin said he has an idea why.
MARTIN: Many of the groups that Donald Trump won in 2024, he's lost considerable ground with, including independent voters, young voters, the Latino community, the AAPI community, women.
FOWLER: So Martin is optimistic for next year's midterms.
MARTIN: The important thing to remember is midterm elections are not a referendum on the party that's not in power. So our numbers really don't matter here, right? Donald Trump is at an all-time low in terms of his favorability and his approval numbers. The Republican Party is as well.
FOWLER: But the numbers aren't great for the Democratic Party, either. And opposition to Trump does not inherently mean voters like what Democrats are selling. The DNC chairman, elected in February by party insiders after leading Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party for 14 years, says they're working on it.
MARTIN: Guess what? We can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can both resist Donald Trump while also giving people a sense of what we're fighting for and how their lives would improve with Democrats back in power.
FOWLER: As for those within the party who say the Democrats aren't doing enough to win elections or push back against Trump policies they don't like, Martin has a blunt response.
MARTIN: Stop bitching. Stop complaining. Roll up your sleeves and get in the game.
FOWLER: More diplomatically, the chairman points out he's been to 32 states since taking over the DNC. The party has been organizing in more places earlier than normal, and there's been investment in behind-the-scenes infrastructure that doesn't grab as many headlines.
MARTIN: And so, again, people ask what the DNC is doing. We're winning. We've been winning since I've been chair, and we're going to continue to win because we're doing the things that help put us in a position to do that.
FOWLER: Still, one of Martin's go-to quips is that there are no brownie points for coming in second place - a place that Democrats still find themselves in, with little power in Washington. Stephen Fowler, NPR News, Alpharetta, Georgia.
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