At the moment in Washington, Democrats don't have much leverage while Republicans have a trifecta of power, controlling the White House, the House, and the Senate. ABC15's Nick Ciletti recently spoke to Arizona Senator Mark Kelly to see what he thinks his fellow Democrats need to do to turn the tide in 2026 for the midterms.
According to recent polls from YouGov and The Economist, Democrats in Congress have lower favorability ratings than their Republican counterparts.
Of those surveyed, 30% said they had a favorable or somewhat favorable view of Democrats, and 62% said they had an unfavorable view.
Republicans were doing slightly better, getting 38% of those surveyed saying they viewed them favorably or somewhat favorably, with 54% having an unfavorable view.
Sen. Kelly, an Arizona Democrat who has now won two statewide elections, says it's all about circling back to the issues that matter most to voters.
"I think it's focusing on the issues that the American people care about," explains Sen. Kelly. "They are often economic and have to do with healthcare...Whether people have access to healthcare and food and education. This administration has taken all three of those pillars and attacked them, I think pretty aggressively. We have to get that information out there. And I hope the American people see that, hard-working American people, know we are on their side and fighting for them. And this administration, they ain't doing it."
Sen. Kelly made those comments at an event on July 11 to listen to people's concerns over the One Big Beautiful Bill, which critics say would kick nearly 12 million Americans, more than 300,000 in Arizona alone, off Medicaid over the next decade.
They are claims President Donald Trump has denied.
"It's really promises made, promises kept," explained the President at a July 4th signing ceremony. "And it's a triumph of democracy and on the birthday of democracy...This is the single most popular bill ever signed, and it includes the largest tax cut in American history. And the largest spending cut of $1.7 trillion, and yet you won't even notice it. It's just waste, fraud, and abuse."
Sen. Kelly says the OBBB will make it harder for Arizonans to get healthcare and worries that's not the only consequence.
"When Medicaid gets cut, hospitals, especially in rural areas, shut down, and that affects everybody."
See our previous reporting from our conversation with Senator Kelly here.
