Democrats divide over Gaza as 2026 midterms near

Democrats are splitting over policy lines as the 2026 midterms approach. The party is fracturing over issues like Gaza, immigration, transgender rights, and health care, with some candidates softening their positions and others moving further to the left.

The shifts come as the party tries to regain its footing and win back control of both houses of Congress from Republicans. Since Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in 2024, divisions among Democrats have deepened. Establishment figures and moderates have struggled to contain a growing wave of progressive populism, driven by groups like the Democratic Socialists of America. The result is a party where candidates' policy positions often depend on the district or state where they are running.

Israel is arguably where the change has been most visible. More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's war on Gaza, which began after the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and polling shows Americans growing more critical. A Pew Research Center survey earlier this year found that 60 percent of US adults held an unfavourable view of Israel, rising to 80 percent among Democrats.

Some longtime Democratic backers of Israel have responded. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, who is likely to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee if Democrats win the Senate next month, told Politico this month that he wants a 'thorough reexamination' of the US-Israeli relationship and would consider sanctions on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That marks a change from 2024, when Harris declined calls to feature a Palestinian American speaker at the Democratic National Convention.

In tight House and Senate races, some Democrats have played down or rejected support for transgender rights, mostly on the question of transgender students in school sports. Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur ran an ad saying, 'Boys should not play in girls' sports,' while North Carolina Representative Don Davis called for a 'safe and fair space for women and girls in sports.' South Carolina Senate candidate Annie Andrews said she opposes 'biological men playing in women's sports.' The shift follows a 2024 Trump campaign ad that highlighted Harris's support for transgender Americans.