Democrats gather in Denver to debate party’s future after US midterm wins

After winning control of the US Congress in the midterm elections, Democrats will descend on Denver on Thursday for a conference on the future of the party.

The two-day conference, titled What's Next, presents itself as a forum to debate the direction of the party and will bring together potential presidential candidates for 2028, newly elected lawmakers, party strategists, and established Democratic leaders.

The gathering was planned in advance of the midterms by a new group called Majority Democrats, chaired by Massachusetts Representative Jake Auchincloss.

On its website, the moderate group presents itself as an alternative to "an old establishment" that "sells mediocrity disguised as moderation" and an activist left that "demands purity disguised as justice".

The group says its members are "willing to challenge the establishment and break with their party when it means standing up for the people they actually represent."

But some progressives question the organisers' vision for the party, arguing it is not ambitious enough, including its backing of a public health insurance, which it calls "Medicare for Americans", option over a Medicare for All system.

The conference comes as Democrats prepare to take control of both the House and the Senate in January, facing decisions about how to use their majorities to challenge Trump in the final two years of his presidency, and begin to look ahead to 2028.

Among the attendees who have been announced are Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, all seen as potential contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination in the next election.

They will be joined by newcomers who flipped seats in the midterms last week, including Texas Senator-elect James Talarico and Iowa Senator-elect Josh Turek.

Also attending are California Representative Ro Khanna, who has described himself as a "long-shot presidential candidate", and Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, who has said he is "kicking the tires" on a possible 2028 run.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to be the next House speaker, is also on the list of confirmed attendees, despite scepticism among some on the party's left about the party's current leadership. He will speak on Friday about the 120th Congress, which begins next year.

Khanna and Van Hollen will join New Jersey Senator Andy Kim for a discussion on "The Trust Deficit," while Shapiro and Senators Elissa Slotkin and Ruben Gallego are scheduled to speak about the next era of the Democratic Party.

Missing from the published speakers are high-profile progressive figures like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders.