LEILA FADEL, HOST:
One month after the 2024 election, the last outstanding race for the House of Representatives has been called. Democrat Adam Gray beat GOP incumbent John Duarte, flipping the seat for California's 13th Congressional District and further narrowing the Republican majority in the House. Democrats, however, will still face a Republican-controlled House, Senate and White House. To talk about their strategies as the minority opposition party, I'm joined by Dan Sena. He's the former executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Good morning.
DAN SENA: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: So Dan, I think there's a lot that's been said on what Democrats got wrong in this election, why they lost. But I want to talk about the future. How does this party go from soul-searching to rolling up their sleeves from a pretty weak position come January?
SENA: Well, it's a great question. And certainly, the election in California last night will make the job a little bit easier. You know, I think the Republican caucus is looking at potentially a two- to three-seat majority, which is going to put the Democrats in a place where if the Republicans actually want to do anything, they're going to have to work with the Democrats.
FADEL: ...If they lose some of their own, though. I mean, they could do things without the Democrats.
SENA: Sure. I think, you know, having run the national committee from Trump's initial inauguration to the election of 2018, Nancy Pelosi would oftentimes say that the strength of the caucus, the power of the caucus really comes from their unity. And I think one of the big first steps that Leader Jeffries is doing and is doing correctly is to get our elections out of the way, to get our leadership pieces out of the way so that we can very quickly begin to focus on messaging and framing what is going to ultimately be a relatively conservative and potentially damaging agenda from both...
FADEL: So...
SENA: ...The Trump administration and Republican leadership.
FADEL: You mention unity there, but there have been signs of fractures already. I mean, we watched the way the Democrats responded in really different ways - some supportive and some very critical of President Biden's decision to pardon his own son, Hunter. What does this say about their ability to really form that united front you described in the...
SENA: Well, one of the benefits that...
FADEL: ...Face of Republican control? Go ahead.
SENA: That's a great question. One of the benefits from being in the minority is that your job is primarily to bring light to and to bring the facts out about what the - Republican leadership and what their agenda will actually do for the American electorate and for American people. And so being in the minority really allows us to tell the story and to expose what is ultimately going to be a relatively conservative and extreme set of agendas set forth by the Trump administration. And so that's a real opportunity for the Democrats to begin early messaging, early contrasting, combined with what we saw in 2000 - end of 2016, in particular - which were major grassroots movements, major work in the states with governors and attorney generals to ultimately combat what could be a potentially damaging Trump administration.
FADEL: Now, House Republicans, or the Republican Party itself, seems more united than it was during the Trump years. I mean, are the Democrats counting on capitalizing on infighting there when it's just a really different Republican landscape?
SENA: Well, it's a great question. Obviously, in 2016, we dealt with traditional Republicans or what were old-school Republicans. Now the Republican caucus is primarily made up of MAGA, sort of Trump-esque Republicans. And so there's no doubt there's been a shift in the caucus.
I think the challenge on the Republican side will really be - I guess, one of the hardest things on the Republican side, I should say, will be being a moderate. So what do the David Valadaos of the world do? What do the Kevin Bacons of the world do? What do, you know, all of the Republicans in Iowa, Ciscomani in Arizona - what do these moderate Republicans, who are in very challenging seats in two years from now - how are they part of the caucus? Especially - and what voice do they really carry, especially in a minority - excuse me; pardon me - in a majority, where the margin is just so thin?
FADEL: And just really quickly, I mean, you took - you led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee when the Democrats took control of the House in 2018. Your piece of advice for Democrats to keep in mind today.
SENA: Absolutely. Be aggressive. Be big. Build a large battlefield. Hold Republicans accountable every step of the way. Give them no quarter anywhere. Expose what these agendas really mean, what - you know, what every step of the Trump agenda means to the American electorate. And be aggressive every single day.
FADEL: Democratic strategist Dan Sena now of Sena Kozar Strategies, thank you so much.
SENA: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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