With Democrats coming out of Election Day with big wins across the country, the pressure is on to replicate that success in next year's midterm elections to try and regain control of either the House, Senate, or both to serve as a check on President Donald Trump.
The GOP currently controls the White House, Senate, and House. Right now, within the Democratic Party, the debate continues over which direction the party should move in order to win nationally.
Those who are more affiliated with the progressive wing of the party point to Zohran Mamdani's historic win in the New York City Mayor's race. Mamdani, a self-described "Democratic Socialist," beat former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the primary, forcing Cuomo to run as an Independent for the general election.
Last week, ABC15's Nick Ciletti asked Arizona District 7 Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva about Mamdani and which direction the party should move.
"More progressive," said Grijalva. "The values of taking care of our environment, public education, taking care of people, having programs that are going to assist and making the lives of working families better and showing that in policy - less support of people in the 'one percent' who are making a lot of money, hand over fist, on the backs of people who don't have anything."
But some argue moving too far to the left could push Independent voters or those in the middle away. In Virginia and New Jersey on Tuesday, more centrist Democrats won historic races for Governor in each of those states, beating their Republican challengers.
Grijalva says the idea that a Progressive candidate can't win simply isn't true.
"My race is proof that is not true," Grijalva said. "I was running against several moderates and a Republican, and I won nearly 70% of the vote. So in our race, locally here, that is disproved because when we talk about policies that are going to help working people, people showed out to vote."
The rise of Mamdani was something that was debated on ABC's The View this week. Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, who once worked for President Donald Trump, but later voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, says Democrats need to play more to the middle.
"The way you win national elections and statewide elections in this country is running somewhat in the middle where you can pull some Independents and moderates," she said on Tuesday's show. "New York City is as blue as can be, and I love New York, but we shouldn't be taking massive lessons from who New York City elects."
But others like Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat, say when his party talks about the issues that impact voters the most, it helps them in the long run.
"I think focusing on issues that the American people care about," said Sen. Kelly to ABC15's Nick Ciletti during a July interview. "Things like whether people have access to healthcare, food, and education."
Both parties may have their work cut out for them. According to recent polling from CNN, both Republicans and Democrats were underwater with their approval numbers, with Democrats struggling slightly more.
Of the respondents, 29% said they had a favorable view of Democrats, versus 55% who said they had an unfavorable view.
Republicans did slightly better, with 33% of respondents saying they had a favorable view of the GOP, versus 53% who said they held an unfavorable view.
To see the polling averages from Real Clear Politics, click here.
