As the midterm elections draw closer, Democratic candidates are confronting their past support for defunding the police, a movement that gained prominence during the 2020 protests following George Floyd's death. The party is working to reframe the narrative around crime and public safety, seeking to counter Republican efforts to link Democrats with lawlessness.
Party leaders express concern that past calls to reimagine or redirect police funding could alienate voters and jeopardize gains in Congress, governorships, and state legislatures. Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright noted that the debate over defunding the police in 2020 "arguably cost us some seats that year." He emphasized the need for Democrats to "define the narrative before others define us with the narrative" to avoid being perceived as politically vulnerable on safety issues.
The challenge is amplified by a progressive wing within the party, which has energized the base, while Republicans are making crime, immigration, and democratic socialism central to their campaign strategies.
In Wisconsin, State Representative Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist running for governor, has drawn attention for her past statements. In 2020, after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Hong posted, "I support defunding the police as a first step towards abolishing the police." A year later, she wrote, "Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option." However, during a gubernatorial primary debate, Hong stated she did not support cutting police funding and would focus on investments that prevent crime.
Similarly, in Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has faced scrutiny over deleted social media posts expressing support for defunding the police. He now states he rejects the idea.
In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has sought to distance himself from his 2020 posts describing the city's police department as "racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety" and calling to "Defund this rogue agency." Mamdani has since apologized for his language and retained his predecessor's police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, a move that garnered criticism from some progressive allies.
These shifts highlight a change in the politics of criminal justice since 2020, presenting strategic dilemmas for Democrats in the current election cycle. The debate over crime and public safety has real-world consequences for communities, such as in Memphis, Tennessee. Residents there have expressed exhaustion with being drawn into national political discourse on the issue. Federal agents, deployed as part of an anti-crime task force, have faced local backlash after recent incidents, including the killing of a man experiencing a mental health crisis during a drug warrant execution. State Senator London Lamar noted that while some local progressives are critical of tough-on-crime policies, many residents still desire a police presence and are skeptical of calls to defund the police. Lamar suggested that these challenges are being "exploited for political gain."