The New Direction

What voters are demanding

Democrats won the House and the Senate. Democratic voters did not do that to get the same leaders and the same playbook. A growing number of them want new leadership and a new direction: no more status quo, no more old ways, no more corporate Democrats, and leaders who refuse corporate and AIPAC money.

1. Accountability under the law

Corruption was a top concern among Democratic voters. They want accountability: investigated and prosecuted under the law where the evidence shows crimes.

AP Voter Poll

The AP Voter Poll, which surveyed more than 100,000 voters, found about 4 in 10 voters named the economy as the top issue and about 3 in 10 named the state of democracy. About half said government corruption was crucial to their vote for Congress, and most of those voters backed the Democratic candidate.

Sources

AP Voter Poll via WFTVPBS NewsHour, AP Voter Poll and corruption

SSRS Election Day poll

The SSRS Election Day poll found 90 percent of voters called corruption a crucial or major problem.

Sources

Christian Science Monitor, SSRS poll

CNBC survey

A CNBC survey in October 2026 found 36 percent named government corruption among the most important issues facing the country.

Sources

CNBC, corruption survey

Checks and balances

The AP Voter Poll found about 7 in 10 voters say Congress is not doing enough to provide checks and balances on the presidency.

Sources

AP via WCVB, checks and balances

How voters see corruption and checks on the presidency

Corruption a crucial or major problem (SSRS)90%

Say Congress not doing enough to check president (AP)70%

Corruption among most important issues (CNBC)36%

2. Honesty and no secret meetings

The Kushner meeting

In August 2026 the New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources, that Jeffries and Jared Kushner met privately in New York. Voters deserve straight answers about what was said and why it was private.

Sources

Forbes, Jeffries addresses the Kushner meetingAxios, inside the Kushner meeting backlash, Aug 26 2026

Read the full record of the Kushner meeting

3. A competitive Speaker election

1 million signatures

A petition titled "House Democrats: CHOOSE A NEW SPEAKER" has passed 1 million signatures, according to its creator. It urges a competitive election for Speaker.

Sources

Newsweek, petition to replace Jeffries

4. New leadership in the Senate

Sanders will not support Schumer

Sen. Bernie Sanders said Nov 10, 2026 he will not support Schumer as Democratic leader, saying the time is now for change.

Sources

CBS News, Sanders on Schumer

Senators-elect oppose Schumer

Senators-elect Peggy Flanagan, Troy Jackson, Abdul El-Sayed, Juliana Stratton and Adam Hamilton have said they will not support Schumer. Senator-elect James Talarico has refused to commit.

Sources

Democracy Now, Nov 6 2026

Indivisible and Schumer's polls

Indivisible called on Nov 4 for Senate Democrats to choose new leadership. An NBC News poll at the end of October found only 13 percent of registered voters view Schumer's leadership positively.

Sources

The Hill, Indivisible on Schumer

Democratic voters on Schumer

A June 2026 Politico poll found 47 percent of likely Democratic voters thought Schumer should not remain in leadership and 28 percent said he should. A CNN poll released April 29 found 17 percent favorable and 44 percent unfavorable.

Sources

Newsweek, Schumer polls and leadership vote

5. Leaders who refuse corporate and AIPAC money

We want leaders who refuse corporate and AIPAC money. No more corporate Democrats. No more old ways.

6. Votes that match Democratic voters

NYT/Siena poll, May 2026

A May 2026 NYT/Siena poll found 74 percent of Democratic voters oppose additional economic and military support to Israel and 20 percent support it. Among all registered voters, 57 percent oppose and 37 percent support.

Sources

Times of Israel, NYT/Siena pollJTA, NYT/Siena all voters

Reuters/Ipsos poll, June 2025

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released in June 2025 found 62 percent of Democrats agreed party leadership should be replaced with new people and 24 percent disagreed.

Sources

Common Dreams, Reuters/Ipsos poll, June 2025

NYT/Siena poll, May 2026: support for additional aid to Israel

Democratic voters oppose74%

Democratic voters support20%

All voters oppose57%

All voters support37%

7. Health care

Medicare for All

On Aug 16, 2026 on Meet the Press, Jeffries said Medicare for All is not legislation he currently cosponsors or supports. NBC reported he cosponsored similar bills from 2013 to 2021.

Sources

Political Wire, Medicare for AllNewsweek, Medicare for All

Read the full record on health care

8. Abolish ICE

Where leaders stand

In February 2026, asked repeatedly to say "abolish ICE," Jeffries declined and said he would use his own language. On Oct 26, 2026 in Houston he said ICE and DHS should not count on Democratic funding without structural changes and greater accountability. Asked whether he would support abolishing ICE, Schumer said only that he has "lots of problems with ICE."

Sources

Fox News, Jeffries ICE interview, Feb 2026Texas Public Radio, Houston, Oct 26 2026Truthout, Schumer and Jeffries on ICE

Our view

Abolish ICE completely and hold anyone who broke the law accountable under the law. Not endorsing that is a failure of leadership.

Read the full record on ICE

The two year warning

Any elected Democrat who votes to hand Hakeem Jeffries the Speaker's gavel or Chuck Schumer the Senate Majority Leader job will face organized opposition for the next two years: calls at every vote, challengers recruited starting in 2027, and primaries in 2028.

Hand them the gavel and we will hold you to account at every vote for the next two years.