The Democratic Party is in the midst of infighting and disagreements ahead of the 2016 election, according to an in-depth report.
A
New York Times Magazine story takes a deep look at the party and its current state.
Democrats have enjoyed strong support in recent presidential elections, but things are different in the legislative branch. Several Democrats are fighting for their political lives leading up to the 2016 general election.
The Times piece focuses on Maryland, the second-most Democratic state in the nation behind Massachusetts. Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski is retiring at the end of 2016, and Democrats hope to keep her seat within the party.
Two Democrats have emerged as potential successors:
Rep. Donna Edwards and
Rep. Chris Van Hollen. Edwards leans further left and is a favorite among progressive groups. Van Hollen is more left-center and works better with Republicans, and established Democrats would prefer him to take over Mikulski's seat.
Similar disagreements between progressive groups, donors, and established members of the party are playing out in Illinois, Florida, California and other states.
The GOP's success in the 2014 midterms, which saw the party take over the Senate and extend its majority in the House, is an indicator that Democrats have their work cut out for them next year.
"It isn't that the Democratic Party is struggling," Jonathan Cowan, president of the think tank Third Way, told the Times. "It's that at the subpresidential level, it's in a free fall."
Democrats need to gain five seats to take control the Senate next year, or four if there's a Democrat vice president who can break a tie.
"The party's situation in the House is far more dire. Only 188 of the lower chamber's 435 seats are held by Democrats," the Times piece says. "Owing in part to the aggressiveness of Republican-controlled State Legislatures that redrew numerous congressional districts following the 2010 census, few believe that the Democratic Party is likely to retake power until after the next census in 2020."
The GOP's political control isn't just limited to Washington; there are 18 Democrat governors, while the party controls both houses at the state level in just 11 states, according to the Times.
MSNBC host Chris Matthews said last week the Democratic Party is fractured.
"It's coming apart. You can see it, it's devolving," Matthews said. "And so it's every man for himself, every politician for themselves right now."
Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are the only two Democrats in the 2016 race for president. But that could change, said
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida last month.
Wasserman Schultz, who also serves as the chair of the Democratic National Committee, expects Clinton to face a strong primary challenge next year.
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