The Hill Features Op-Ed by Senator Dorgan on Democratic Party Path Forward

He stated that the Democratic party has not been running a 50-state campaign for President and often gives up on many states before the campaign even begins. “Losing big in so-called red states is a disaster for state and local Democrats who are running for office,” said Dorgan. To be successful, candidates first have to “show up”, and when they do show up, they have to “have a message that matters” on issues that American people care about. Dorgan acknowledged in the recent Presidential campaign that Trump drove home a message about bringing back American jobs that were lost from unfair trade agreements. That message resonated with working class voters who have felt the impact of lost manufacturing jobs. The relentless Republican attack on the Clinton email issue kept Hillary Clinton off balance and prevented her from connecting with an economic message to those voters. Dorgan said in future elections, Democratic Presidential candidates need to compete hard with a strong economic message in every state.

Click here to read the full op-ed.