Why Democrats will turn out even if they dislike their party’s leaders
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At a rest stop off Interstate 95, Democratic voters said they are starting to set aside their frustrations to coalesce around the party’s midterm candidates.
NEWARK, Del. – Outside a highway rest stop named after former president Joe Biden, it was easy to pick up on the frustration and lack of enthusiasm that many Democratic voters are feeling toward the party he once led. But many also said they’ll set those misgivings aside and vote for Democrats in November.
The responses are in line with recent national polling, which has found that more Democrats than Republicans are certain to vote, even as the Democratic Party’s favorability and public image remains weak. About 91 percent of Democratic registered voters said they would definitely vote, compared with 79 percent of Republicans, according to a YouGov-Economist poll from August. The same pollster has found the favorability rating of Democrats has steadily risen over the last year to 40.5 percent and 30 percent among independents.
The Washington Post interviewed dozens of voters at the Biden Welcome Center off Interstate 95. Here’s what they said they’re feeling about the 2026 midterm elections — and what they want from Democrats:
Ronald Makarutsa
45, nurse practitioner in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, will vote Democratic
“They need to have more of a spine and stand up for one another. When a Republican does something, they all say the same thing until they achieve their goals. Some of the Democrats, they don’t support one another. … They have to put up a united front.”
Linda Bretz
79, retiree in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will vote Democratic
“We need to get more young people involved. … They [also have to] talk to people and listen to people. We need to get the economy in better shape and stop this war that we should’ve never gotten into.”
Lindsay Morgan
43, restaurant manager in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will vote Democratic
“Democrats need better people to run. If you want to change what’s happening, you have to get a powerhouse that doesn’t give the other side fuel to say we have ‘Sleepy Joe.’ [But] they need not to fall so far left that it detracts from some of those Republicans you might capture.”
Dani Wharton
34, train conductor trainer in Wilmington, Delaware, will vote, but not sure for what party
“With everything going on, all politics is becoming one category. … We need somebody to take us out of this deep depression that we’re all in.”
Corey Odom
48, federal employee in Laurel, Maryland, will vote Democratic
“I’m looking for politicians to get more serious about my kids’ generation and their needs. There’s so much of a focus on stuff that’s not important, that’s not for everybody, that doesn’t bring us back to what the responsibility of the government is. … You need to move boldly to protect people.”
Carlos Roman
21, college student in Newark, Delaware, will not vote
“The Democratic and Republican Party are just two groups that serve one group, and that collective is the oligarchy.”
Ed Krauland
71, attorney in Potomac, Maryland, will vote Democratic
“Democrats need more courage with regard to addressing what I consider to be undemocratic and not helpful policies of the current administration.”
Lesley Krauland
61, vocational deacon in University Park, Maryland, will vote Democratic
“They need to offer a strong five-year plan: Where are they going to go? How are we going to resurrect our friendships with our allies? How are we going to resurrect our institutions that have taken such a serious blow?”
Davon Anderson
34, sales director in Blackwood, New Jersey, leaning toward voting Democratic
“I support whoever’s more realistic with their policies. … If we get somebody that’s fair and honest, I would put more backing behind them.”
Ashish Pandy
39, driver and nonprofit founder in Queens, will vote, but not sure for what party
“People have forgotten humanity. … Rather than big issues, rather than bringing up Russia or the Middle East, they should be bringing up things that matter to people: People shouldn’t be hungry. They should have access to a good life.”
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