A coalition of 15 Democratic mayors governing in Republican-led states is launching 'Blue Cities/Red States,' a political group led by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb designed to counter MAGA and far-left extremes. The group aims to build a center-left national platform focused on public safety and affordability. This moderate push aligns with warnings from figures like Rahm Emanuel about the party's brand problem, even as critics accuse Democrats of using deceptive red-state tactics, including ceding races to independent candidates and relying on millions in dark money.
Launch of the Blue Cities/Red States coalition
- ▪Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb stated that the 15 mayors in the Blue Cities/Red States coalition are closing the Democratic Party's credibility gap by governing on public safety, affordability, and economic growth without Democratic-led state governments.
- ▪The founding mayors of the Blue Cities/Red States coalition govern more than 7 million Americans across 11 red and purple states, including cities such as Atlanta, Jacksonville, Boise, Tulsa, and Memphis.
- ▪The Blue Cities/Red States coalition plans to establish a permanent national platform, fundraising and organizational infrastructure, polling, message testing, and a national paid-media strategy for the 2026 and 2028 election cycles.
- ▪The Blue Cities/Red States coalition is led by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and will launch in Miami, Florida with a kickoff event hosted by Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins.
- ▪A coalition of 15 Democratic mayors governing in Republican-dominated states is launching a political organization called Blue Cities/Red States to counter MAGA and far-left politics.
Rahm Emanuel's advice for the Democratic Party
- ▪Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel rejected the platform of democratic socialists, stating that their support for defunding the police and open borders does not represent the position of the Democratic Party.
- ▪Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel advocated on 'Meet the Press' for Democrats to focus on presenting solutions for affordability, ethics, and public trust rather than focusing solely on fighting President Donald Trump.
Wall Street Journal polling
- ▪A Wall Street Journal poll shows the Democratic Party has a 38% favorable rating, the Republican Party has 39%, President Donald Trump has a 37% approval rating, and the Democratic Socialists of America registered 24% favorability.
- ▪The Wall Street Journal poll indicated that the Democratic Party received some of its lowest approval ratings in decades since President Donald Trump took office in 2025.
Democratic strategy using independent candidates
- ▪National Democrats have utilized independent candidates as standard-bearers in Republican-dominated states like Idaho and South Dakota to make races competitive where the national Democratic brand is discredited.
- ▪Democratic leaders persuaded their U.S. Senate nominee in Nebraska to withdraw so the party could consolidate support behind independent candidate Dan Osborn, who is challenging incumbent Republican Senator Pete Ricketts.
Campaign spending in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District
- ▪The Fight for Nebraska PAC, funded by groups like The Bench and Way Back PAC, spent over $1.8 million promoting Denise Powell without disclosing its original donors.
- ▪Democratic nominee Denise Powell benefited from nearly $6 million in Super PAC and advocacy group spending during her primary campaign in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District.
Sixteen Thirty Fund connections
- ▪Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers filed a lawsuit against the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund, alleging Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss illegally routed money through them into Nebraska ballot campaigns.
- ▪Democratic congressional nominee Denise Powell has worked as a consultant for the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund.
Debatable claims
- ▪Democratic candidates who oppose dark money should refuse Super PAC support
- ▪Opposing Donald Trump is more important for the Democratic brand than focusing on local governance
- ▪Democratic socialist platforms do more harm than good to the Democratic Party's brand
- ▪Centrist local governance is the most effective way for Democrats to win in red states
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