Democratic Party lawmakers criticized ‘woke politics’ after losing election

Immediately after Donald Trump's re-election in 2024, some figures within the Democratic Party attributed the party's defeat to minority groups through the New York Times. Among them, Massachusetts State Representative Seth Moulton was particularly active.

“Democrats spend too much time trying not to offend anyone,” Moulton said in an interview at the time. “I have two daughters, and I don’t want them to be pushed out on the field by a male or former male athlete. But as a Democrat, I should be afraid of these words.”

Now, more than a year later, Moulton is challenging incumbent progressive senator Ed Markey in Massachusetts, one of the most progressive states in the country. However, his anti-transgender remarks, which attempted to establish himself as a 'thought leader' at the time, are actually holding back the campaign.

Serious gap shown by public opinion polls

Moulton is lagging behind Markey in various opinion polls. The gap is especially noticeable among young voters. According to a poll released by the University of New Hampshire on February 24, 2025, Moulton's favorable rating among voters aged 18 to 34 was only 3%, while Markey recorded a favorable rating of 67%.

What is even more shocking is the actual voting intention. Among Massachusetts primary voters under the age of 34, only 2% said they would support Moulton if they voted that day. On the other hand, Maki's approval rating reached 53%.

There is still time left for the Massachusetts general election on September 1, but the current situation shows that Moulton, who claimed to be the 'spearhead of the new Democratic Party', has taken on a serious political burden.

Why did this statement become a problem?

Tatishe M. Nteta, a political science professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, noted that Moulton was not alone in his analysis of Kamala Harris' defeat. “The problem is that those comments have now come to define him, not just as a national figure who rebelled against mainstream Democratic views, but even within the state.”

There were warning signs even back then. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey criticized Moulton for "playing politics with people." But Moulton refused to apologize. Rather, he argued that the backlash proved his point, accusing Democrats of forcing people "to change our values" to meet the demands of "one very small minority group," like forcing people to "put their pronouns in their email signatures."

“I was very outraged by Seth Moulton’s comments,” said David Seaton, a Tufts University student and vice president of political affairs for the College Democrats. “Seth Moulton ran for office on the promise of generational change, but his ideas are from the past and his values ​​are clearly generations old.”

When did this trend start?

Immediately after the defeat in the 2024 presidential election, some commentators and politicians within the Democratic Party poured out analysis that 'woke politics' was the cause of their defeat. Some people actively made such comments with a presidential run in mind. They tried to explain Harris' defeat by saying the Democratic Party was too "woke" and out of touch with reality.

But things have changed. Voters have become more concerned about rising prices, expanding wars, and declining access to health care than about pronoun use. The remarks at the time turned into political burden rather than prophecy.

“When you look at how much the world has changed since that moment, it seems very out of touch with where we are now,” said Josie Caballero, voting director for Advocates for Trans Equality.

Massachusetts is a progressive state that overwhelmingly voted to maintain transgender protections in a 2018 referendum. Caballero pointed out that similar trends were seen in swing states and conservative states such as Maine, Texas, and Virginia. The Republican Party's anti-transgender message was not as effective as expected.

Future outlook [AI analysis]

Moulton's Senate challenge can be seen as a test of the 'centrist counterattack' within the Democratic Party. But public opinion polls to date suggest that this strategy is unlikely to be effective, at least in progressive states like Massachusetts.

Until the September primary, Moulton faces two options. As Professor Nteta puts it, the statement must be “retracted or justified.” But neither is easy. Withdrawal could be seen as a lack of consistency, and adherence is likely to widen the gap with younger voters.

This contest has broader implications. This could be an example of measuring the political future of Democratic Party figures who advocated ‘escape from woke politics’ after losing the 2024 election. In a situation where voters' actual concerns have shifted from culture wars to economic and living issues, the strategy of defining minority rights as a 'political burden' is likely to backfire.

Looking at the Democratic Party as a whole, the results of this primary are expected to be an indicator of which side receives voter support in the conflict between the party's progressive and centrist factions.