Even in defeat, the top brass at the Democratic National Committee claimed victory coming out of a special election this week that their candidate lost in a reliably red Tennessee congressional district.
Malcolm Kenyatta, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, said the voters nevertheless moved away from the GOP.
He argued that while his party lost the battle for the seat, they’re still winning the war against President Trump and Republicans as the two parties gear up for the 2026 midterms.
“Republicans legitimately should be trembling in their boots,” Mr. Kenyatta told The Washington Times on Wednesday. “The American people, in a variety of different geographies and district compositions, are making it very clear that they are sick of the tornado of chaos and corruption that is devastating our economy and our international relations, particularly as it relates to trade and prices of goods and services that people need.”
He also pointed to high prices for necessities like health care, food and housing.
The evidence of the voters retreating from Mr. Trump, he said, is seen in the margin of victory in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District. Mr. Trump won there in 2024 by 22 points. On Tuesday, Republican Matt Van Epps won the special election by 9 points over Democratic state lawmaker Aftyn Behn.
Democrats are riding high from the off-year election wins in: Virginia, New Jersey, California, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
They say the Tennessee race fits into a broader pattern: Candidates running across the country have run stronger than former Vice President Kamala Harris did against Mr. Trump a year ago.
With more than 100 GOP-held House seats up next year in less Trump-friendly districts, Democrats are optimistic about flipping control of the lower chamber and now envision a narrow path to taking control of the Senate.
Republicans, meanwhile, saw the Tennessee race in a far different light, arguing Democrats are too optimistic about the result.
They said the showing by Ms. Behn — a liberal warrior whose sharp critiques of Nashville, country music and Christianity hurt her in the deep‑red district — will encourage more like‑minded candidates to jump into races, ultimately weakening the Democratic Party’s hand next year.
“That is the problem Democrats face in primaries all over the country in 2026 — they may nominate a left-wing nut who can’t win the general election,” said Brad Todd, a GOP strategist, on CNN.
Republicans linked Ms. Behn ideologically to the likes of New York City Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, and warned that it is more proof that radicals are overtaking the Democratic Party.
Mr. Kenyatta brushed off the criticism, saying, “I’m not going to tell Republicans how to cope. The truth is, they’re terrified.”
He said that while some candidates and parts of the grassroots have come to embrace Democratic socialism, it does not define the entire party, noting the DNC’s support for Govs.-elect Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, as well as Mr. Mamdani.
Mr. Kenyatta has been working alongside DNC Chair Ken Martin to steady the party as part of a leadership shakeup following the disastrous 2024 election.
They have faced some turbulence, including gun-rights activist David Hogg’s brief stint as co‑chair and questions about fundraising.
The DNC borrowed $15 million in October, raising eyebrows.
Still, Mr. Kenyatta said grassroots support has been strong, the party is investing heavily in state parties and the $7 million it put out into key 2025 races paid off.
Mr. Kenyatta said Democrats are also benefiting from Trump voters who are showing buyer’s remorse and giving Democrats another look, especially when it comes to their vows to protect and expand access to health care, lower costs and cleave the government away from the billionaire class.
“You can’t do any of those things if you have an administration that is as wantonly corrupt as the current administration,” he said, citing, among other things, Mr. Trump’s pardoning of “the worst of the worst criminals” who suck up to him.
“I think what his presidency has done is allow us to expose what the Trump-Vance agenda has always been, and now we have to go out and reassert our agenda.”
He added: “Right now, the American people are seeing that Donald Trump is what he’s always been: He is a remorseless convict.”
Celebrating his win Tuesday night, Mr. Van Epps, a former Army helicopter pilot, offered a starkly different message: Mr. Trump’s endorsement carried him to victory.
“I say this to my friends in the liberal media and to the professional panickers in my own party, tonight we showed: Running from Trump is how you lose; running with Trump is how you win,” Mr. Van Epps told supporters at his election night party.
Mr. Kenyatta cheered on the response. “I encourage Republicans in the suburbs of Philadelphia, New York and Iowa to take that stupid advice,” he said.
