On Tuesday, Iowa Democrats achieved a surprising victory in a state Senate district that had previously been won by Donald Trump by over 20 points, while Minnesota Democrats regained their Senate majority in the state legislature.
Concurrently, congressional Democrats in Washington, who had been on the defensive since Trump’s return to office, criticized his extensive freeze on federal assistance, presenting a cohesive message for the first time since his inauguration. By Wednesday, the Trump administration lifted the freeze, allowing Democrats to celebrate their first significant win since the November election.
“I haven’t seen people so aroused in a very, very long time,” Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer said this to the media during a press meeting(on Wednesday).
On Tuesday, Iowa Democrats achieved a surprising victory in a state Senate district that had previously been won by Donald Trump by over 20 points, while Minnesota Democrats regained their Senate majority in the state legislature.
Concurrently, congressional Democrats in Washington, who had been on the defensive since Trump’s return to office, criticized his extensive freeze on federal assistance, presenting a cohesive message for the first time since his inauguration. By Wednesday, the Trump administration lifted the freeze, allowing Democrats to celebrate their first significant win since the November election.
“It’s a bit of positive news in a sea of negativity [and] Democrats are eager for any positive news,” said Iowa state Rep. J.D. Scholten.
The one who showcast a chunk of rural northwest Iowa, similar to the rural state Senate seat that flipped from red to blue on Tuesday night. “I don’t think we can base our whole 2026 plan off of one special election, but at the same time, it’s a good feeling.”
Following the Trump administration’s lifting of its federal freeze through a brief two-sentence memorandum, Waleed Shahid, a progressive Democratic strategist, described the Democrats’ response as a model for future actions, how to “beat Flood the Zone” — “pick your fights and press where it counts,” he posted on X .
“Their overreach hit a Democratic intersection — legal pushback, constituent pressure and service providers turning up the heat on Congressional Democrats, and a media lane to drive a working-class populist message,” Shahid stated in an interview.
“There does seem to be more excitement in Democrats being an opposition party than one focused on bipartisanship and capitulation.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries convened lawmakers on a private conference call Wednesday afternoon, informing them that their public pressure campaign had been effective and that the rescinded order represented a victory. He encouraged them to continue their efforts as the caucus embarks on an “all hands on deck” initiative, as reported by five individuals familiar with the discussion.
Prominent Democrats from the House Appropriations Committee, Oversight, and the caucus’s messaging division shared their strategies to counteract Trump’s policies. The messaging division urged lawmakers to conduct news conferences alongside local elected officials to emphasize the consequences of the spending freeze and to create social media videos addressing the issue.
Additionally, the caucus scheduled a “Stop The Republican Rip Off Day of Action” for Thursday, which remained on track even after the order was rescinded, aimed at engaging constituents about how the Republican agenda adversely affects working individuals while benefiting the affluent and well-connected, according to guidance obtained by POLITICO.
The special election in Iowa, prompted by the resignation of then-state Senator Chris Cournoyer to assume the role of lieutenant governor, provided an unexpected advantage for Democrats. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart remarked in a statement that this outcome demonstrated the party’s potential to succeed in rural Iowa, while the Democratic National Committee referred to it as an “earthquake.”
However, some political analysts in Iowa cautioned against overinterpreting the results, pointing to the limited sample size. In recent years, Democrats have fared better among more informed voters, who are significantly more likely to participate in special elections and midterms, making it challenging to generalize these results to larger contests.
“Do not overanalyze the situation,” advised Norm Sterzenbach, a veteran Iowa Democratic consultant. Nevertheless, upon reviewing the results, Sterzenbach noted that Democrats could identify some promising trends: Mike Zimmer, the Democratic candidate, showed improved performance in the Quad Cities, a crucial swing area that Democrats need to reclaim to enhance their position in the state.
Rallying lawmakers in a private conference call Wednesday afternoon, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told them that their public pressure campaign worked and the rescinded order was a win — but urged them to keep up the fight as the caucus mounts an “all hands on deck effort,” according to five people familiar with the call.
Top Democrats from the House Appropriations Committee, Oversight and the caucus messaging arm presented on their strategies to push back against Trump.
Their messaging arm encouraged lawmakers to hold news conferences with local elected officials to highlight the impact of the spending freeze and to record social media videos about it. The caucus also planned a “Stop The Republican Rip Off Day of Action” on Thursday — that was still on after the order was rescinded — to talk with constituents about “how the Republican agenda will hurt working people to reward the wealthy and well-connected,” according to guidance obtained by POLITICO.
The Iowa special election — triggered after then-state Sen. Chris Cournoyer resigned to serve as the state’s lieutenant governor — gave Democrats an unexpected boost. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement that it proved the party “can win in rural Iowa,” while the Democratic National Committee called it an “earthquake.”
But some Iowa political experts urged a more restrained reading of the results, citing the small sample size . In recent years, Democrats have performed better among higher-information voters, who are far more likely to show up for special elections and midterms, which means it’s harder to extrapolate those results to contests that draw more voters.
“Don’t overread here,” said Norm Sterzenbach, a longtime Iowa Democratic consultant. Sifting through the results, though, Sterzenbach argued that Democrats can pick out some helpful trends: Mike Zimmer, the Democratic candidate, performed better in the Quad Cities, a swingy area Democrats must win back to improve their standing in the state, and he ran a localized campaign.
Zimmer focused on his experience as a teacher, emphasizing local issues rather than national politics, particularly avoiding topics related to Trump and Washington. Sterzenbach noted that despite the temptation to respond to current events, their campaign maintained a local focus. The key takeaway is to prioritize local matters and refrain from getting entangled in national controversies.
Republicans interpreted Zimmer’s win, along with the enthusiastic reactions from Democrats on social media, as an indication of the difficulties facing Democrats in many regions. Adam Kincaid, president of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, remarked that this situation demonstrates how desperate Democrats have become, especially considering it was a special election in late January in Iowa, suggesting that it may not be wise to draw significant conclusions from it.
Nonetheless, Kincaid warned Republicans that there are important lessons to be learned from this unexpected outcome in Iowa. He emphasized the necessity of having strong candidates and the importance of mobilizing Trump supporters even when he is not on the ballot. Kincaid observed that Republicans once had a robust coalition during midterm elections, while Democrats struggled to engage their voters; however, he believes this dynamic has shifted. The challenge for the upcoming 18 months will be to encourage low-propensity voters to participate in the electoral process.
