Democrats' 'Defund Police' Midterm Challenge
Democratic candidates face scrutiny over past 'defund the police' support impacting midterm campaigns
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Democratic candidates across the country are scrambling to explain past calls to defund the police — just as the party is trying to make public safety a winning issue against Republicans, according to Action News JAX. The tension puts some candidates in a tough spot heading into key midterm races for Congress, governor's offices, and statehouses.
Democrats are betting that what they call 'lawlessness' under President Donald Trump is the biggest threat to voters' rights and wallets, KDH News reported. But past support for defunding police — a deeply unpopular position with many voters — threatens to undermine that message entirely.
Wisconsin Race Puts Defund Debate Front and Center
In Wisconsin, Democratic socialist State Rep. Francesca Hong is running in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. She has staked out a position far to the left of the party mainstream, according to Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Her past support for defunding the police has alarmed moderate Democrats in the state.
If Hong wins the primary, she would face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the general election. Moderate Democrats worry her record on policing could cost the party a winnable race, Leader Telegram reported. Wisconsin is seen as a key battleground state in the midterm cycle.
Michigan Senate Candidate Faces Heat Over Police Comments
In Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has faced direct questions about his past support for defunding the police, according to MyNorthwest. El-Sayed is among several candidates now trying to walk back or clarify earlier statements made during the height of the 2020 racial justice protests.
Michigan and New York politicians have both moved to distance themselves from the defund movement, Click Orlando reported. The shift shows how quickly the political winds have changed since 2020, when the phrase became a rallying cry for many progressive activists.
Why 'Defund the Police' Still Haunts Democrats in 2025
The phrase 'defund the police' became widely used after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. It generally meant shifting money away from police departments toward social services. But most voters heard it as a call to eliminate police entirely — and polls showed the idea was deeply unpopular, according to Messenger-Inquirer.
Republicans used the phrase against Democrats in the 2020 and 2022 elections with notable success. The party is now worried history could repeat itself. Candidates who once backed the idea are now caught between their progressive base and the broader electorate they need to win, KDH News reported.
Democrats Bet on Trump's Record, But Face a Credibility Problem
The Democratic Party's midterm strategy rests on painting Republicans as soft on crime and disorder under Trump, according to Action News JAX. That argument is harder to make when some of their own candidates have records calling for less police funding.
Party leaders fear that even a handful of outlier candidates could taint the whole Democratic brand on public safety. The challenge is real: voters tend to trust Republicans more on crime and law enforcement. Democrats need a clean message — and old statements about defunding police make that nearly impossible, Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.
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