Democratic candidates grapple with past stances on defunding the police ahead of key midterm races
Democratic candidates are distancing themselves from 2020-era calls to cut police funding as they face tougher questions on public safety and general-election viability.
- During a primary debate on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong rejected cutting police funding, as Democratic candidates across the country distance themselves from past 'defund the police' rhetoric ahead of midterm races.
- Following George Floyd's death in 2020, the 'defund the police' movement emerged as a prominent demand during Black Lives Matter protests, which Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright said 'arguably cost us some seats' in previous cycles.
- In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani apologized for previous criticism describing the department as 'racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety,' while Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed deleted past posts supporting defunding.
- State Sen. London Lamar reported that Memphis residents remain skeptical of 'defund' calls despite frustration with federal anti-crime crackdowns, noting that most community members still want a police presence and view the debate as a 'useful distraction.'
- Strategists warn Democrats must define safety narratives before opponents weaponize past rhetoric, as Hong faces concerns from moderate Democrats about her general-election prospects against Trump-backed Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany.
20 Articles
20 Articles
Democrats squirm as 'defund the police' stances from 2020 come back to haunt them
Just months before the midterm elections, Democrats hope to convince voters that lawlessness under President Donald Trump’s administration is the biggest threat to their rights and pocketbooks. But the party’s past debates over crime and safety threaten to undermine that pitch. Across the country, Democratic candidates are grappling with their previous positions calling to “defund the police” — a prominent demand during the protests that followe…
Democratic Candidates Grapple with ‘Defund the Police’
“Just months before the midterm elections, Democrats hope to convince voters that lawlessness under President Donald Trump’s administration is the biggest threat to their rights and pocketbooks. But the party’s past debates over crime and safety threaten to undermine that pitch,” the Associated Press reports. “Across the country, Democratic candidates are grappling with their previous […]
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