Editing Democratic Party (United States) (section)

=== 21st century ===
==== 2000s ====
[[File:President Barack Obama.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Barack Obama]], the 44th president (2009–2017)]]
In the wake of the 2001 [[September 11 attacks|terrorist attacks]] on the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] and [[the Pentagon]] as well as the growing concern over [[global warming]], some of the party's key issues in the early 21st century have included combating [[terrorism]] while preserving human rights, expanding access to health care, [[labor rights]], and environmental protection. Democrats regained majority control of both the House and the Senate in the [[United States general elections, 2006|2006 elections]]. [[Barack Obama]] won the Democratic Party's nomination and was elected as the first African American president in 2008. Under the Obama presidency, the party moved forward reforms including an [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|economic stimulus]] package, the [[Dodd-Frank Act|Dodd–Frank]] financial reform act, and the [[Affordable Care Act]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lerer|first1=Lisa|title=No Congress Since 1960s Has Impact on Public as 111th|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-12-22/no-congress-since-1960s-makes-most-laws-for-americans-as-111th|access-date=April 20, 2016|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|date=December 22, 2010|archive-date=March 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200329224729/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2010-12-22/no-congress-since-1960s-makes-most-laws-for-americans-as-111th|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== 2010s ====
In the [[2010 United States elections|2010 midterm elections]], the Democratic Party lost control of the House as well as its majorities in several state legislatures and governorships. In the [[2012 United States presidential election|2012 elections]], President Obama was re-elected, but the party remained in the minority in the House of Representatives and lost control of the Senate in the [[2014 United States elections|2014 midterm elections]]. After the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 election]] of [[Donald Trump]], who lost the [[List of United States presidential elections in which the winner lost the popular vote|popular vote]] to Democratic nominee [[Hillary Clinton]], the Democratic Party transitioned into the role of an opposition party and held neither the presidency nor Congress for two years.<ref name="Revolt of the Rust Belt">{{cite journal|title=The revolt of the Rust Belt: place and politics in the age of anger|journal=The British Journal of Sociology|volume=68|issue=S1|pages=S120–S152|first=Michael|last=McQuarrie|date=November 8, 2017|doi=10.1111/1468-4446.12328|pmid=29114874|s2cid=26010609 |doi-access=free|quote=Today, the Democratic Party is a party of professionals, minorities and the New Economy.}}</ref> However, the party won back the House in the [[2018 United States House of Representatives elections|2018 midterm elections]] under the leadership of [[Nancy Pelosi]].

Democrats were extremely critical of President Trump, particularly his policies on immigration, healthcare, and abortion, as well as his response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news|last=York|first=David Smith Molly Redden in New|date=April 1, 2016|title=Donald Trump's abortion remarks provoke biggest crisis of his campaign|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/31/donald-trump-abortion-remarks-biggest-campaign-crisis |access-date=June 29, 2020|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=July 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729191734/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/31/donald-trump-abortion-remarks-biggest-campaign-crisis|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=McCormick|first=Stephanie Armour and John|date=March 14, 2020|title=Democrats Sharpen Criticism of Trump's Health-Care Policy in Coronavirus Pandemic|language=en-US|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-sharpen-criticism-of-trumps-health-care-policy-in-coronavirus-pandemic-11584195089 |access-date=June 29, 2020|issn=0099-9660|archive-date=July 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729182405/https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-sharpen-criticism-of-trumps-health-care-policy-in-coronavirus-pandemic-11584195089|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Trump WHO decision draws criticism from Democrats in US Congress|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-decision-draws-criticism-democrats-congress-200415184644345.html |access-date=June 29, 2020|website=Al Jazeera |archive-date=July 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729193902/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/trump-decision-draws-criticism-democrats-congress-200415184644345.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In December 2019, Democrats in the House of Representatives [[First impeachment of Donald Trump|impeached Trump]], although he was acquitted in the Republican-controlled Senate.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Ewing |first1=Philip |date=February 5, 2020 |title='Not Guilty': Trump Acquitted On 2 Articles Of Impeachment As Historic Trial Closes |language=en |newspaper=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/02/05/801429948/not-guilty-trump-acquitted-on-2-articles-of-impeachment-as-historic-trial-closes |access-date=February 8, 2021 |archive-date=February 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206152432/https://www.npr.org/2020/02/05/801429948/not-guilty-trump-acquitted-on-2-articles-of-impeachment-as-historic-trial-closes |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== 2020s ====
[[File:Joe Biden presidential portrait.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Joe Biden]], the 46th president (2021–present)]]
In November 2020, Democrat [[Joe Biden]] defeated Trump to win the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 7, 2020 |title=Biden defeats Trump for White House, says 'time to heal' |url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9 |access-date=November 7, 2020 |website=AP NEWS |archive-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117190428/https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wins-white-house-ap-fd58df73aa677acb74fce2a69adb71f9 |url-status=live}}</ref> He began his term with extremely narrow Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Jonathan |last2=Fausset |first2=Richard |last3=Epstein |first3=Reid J. |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Georgia Highlights: Democrats Win the Senate as Ossoff Defeats Perdue |website=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/06/us/georgia-election-results |access-date=January 11, 2021 |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107140603/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/06/us/georgia-election-results |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=U.S. House Election Results |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |date=November 3, 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-house.html |access-date=February 8, 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=February 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220074106/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-house.html |url-status=live}}</ref> During the Biden presidency, the party has been characterized as adopting an increasingly [[Economic progressivism|progressive economic agenda]].<ref name="Hacker-2024">{{Cite journal |last1=Hacker |first1=Jacob S. |last2=Malpas |first2=Amelia |last3=Pierson |first3=Paul |last4=Zacher |first4=Sam |date=2024 |title=Bridging the Blue Divide: The Democrats' New Metro Coalition and the Unexpected Prominence of Redistribution |journal=Perspectives on Politics |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=609–629 |language=en |doi=10.1017/S1537592723002931 |issn=1537-5927 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2022, Biden appointed [[Ketanji Brown Jackson]], the first [[Black women|Black woman]] on the [[demographics of the Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]. However, she was replacing liberal justice [[Stephen Breyer]], so she did not alter the court's 6–3 split between conservatives (the majority) and liberals.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fritze |first=John |date=March 6, 2022 |title=Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson would add another Protestant voice to heavily Catholic Supreme Court |url=https://news.yahoo.com/judge-ketanji-brown-jackson-add-100016272.html |work=Yahoo! News |language=en-US |access-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630163930/https://news.yahoo.com/judge-ketanji-brown-jackson-add-100016272.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=de Vogue |first=Ariane |date=June 30, 2022 |title=Ketanji Brown Jackson to join a Supreme Court in turmoil |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/29/politics/ketanji-brown-jackson-fractured-supreme-court/index.html |website=CNN |access-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-date=June 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629222838/https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/29/politics/ketanji-brown-jackson-fractured-supreme-court/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 30, 2022 |title=WATCH LIVE: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in as first Black woman on Supreme Court |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-judge-ketanji-brown-jackson-sworn-in-as-first-black-woman-on-supreme-court |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-US |access-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630145216/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-judge-ketanji-brown-jackson-sworn-in-as-first-black-woman-on-supreme-court |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in as first Black woman on US top court |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62003518.amp |website=BBC News |date=June 30, 2022 |access-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701024904/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62003518.amp |url-status=live }}</ref> After ''[[Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization|Dobbs v. Jackson]]'' (decided June 24, 2022), which led to [[Abortion law in the United States by state|abortion bans in much of the country]], the Democratic Party rallied behind [[Abortion-rights movements|abortion rights]].<ref name="Traister-2023" />

In the [[2022 United States elections|2022 midterm elections]], Democrats dramatically outperformed historical trends and a widely anticipated [[Wave elections in the United States|red wave]] did not materialize.<ref name="Tumulty 2022">{{cite news |last=Tumulty |first=Karen |date=November 9, 2022 |title=The expected red wave looks more like a puddle |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/11/09/no-red-wave-midterm-outcome-analysis/ |access-date=November 10, 2022 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=November 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112060937/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/11/09/no-red-wave-midterm-outcome-analysis/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Blake 20222">{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=November 10, 2022 |title=How bad the 2022 election was for the GOP, historically speaking |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/10/republican-losses-2022-midterms/ |access-date=November 13, 2022 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=February 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219205348/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/10/republican-losses-2022-midterms/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The party only narrowly lost its majority in the U.S. House and expanded its majority in the U.S. Senate,<ref name="Kinery 2022">{{cite web |last=Kinery |first=Emma |date=November 9, 2022 |title=Midterm results are looking increasingly sunny for Biden as he touts 'strong night' for Democrats |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/09/midterm-election-results-look-better-for-biden-as-democrats-avoid-red-wave.html |access-date=November 10, 2022 |website=[[CNBC]] |archive-date=November 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109235327/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/09/midterm-election-results-look-better-for-biden-as-democrats-avoid-red-wave.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Enter 2022">{{cite news |last=Enten |first=Harry |date=November 13, 2022 |title=How Joe Biden and the Democratic Party defied midterm history |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/13/politics/democrats-biden-midterm-elections-senate-house/index.html |access-date=November 28, 2022 |publisher=[[CNN]] |archive-date=November 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128185931/https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/13/politics/democrats-biden-midterm-elections-senate-house/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Crampton 2022">{{cite web |last=Crampton |first=Liz |date=November 9, 2022 |title=Democrats take legislatures in Michigan, Minnesota and eye Pennsylvania |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/09/democrats-take-legislatures-00065953 |access-date=November 10, 2022 |website=[[Politico]] |archive-date=January 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105195034/https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/09/democrats-take-legislatures-00065953 |url-status=live }}</ref> along with several gains at the state level.<ref name="composition_2023_05_23_ncsl_org">[https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/state-partisan-composition "State Partisan Composition,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704082911/https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/state-partisan-composition |date=July 4, 2023 }} May 23, 2023, [[National Conference of State Legislatures]], retrieved July 4, 2023</ref><ref name="statehouse_2023_01_18_nytimes">[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/18/us/democrats-michigan-minnesota-maryland.html "Statehouse Democrats Embrace an Unfamiliar Reality: Full Power,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605070246/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/18/us/democrats-michigan-minnesota-maryland.html |date=June 5, 2023 }} January 18, 2023, ''[[New York Times]],'' retrieved July 4, 2023</ref><ref name="trifectas_2022_11_11_ap_foxnews">[[Associated Press]]: [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/midterm-election-trifectas-democrats-won-full-government-control-these-states "Midterm election trifectas: Democrats won full government control in these states,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704090351/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/midterm-election-trifectas-democrats-won-full-government-control-these-states |date=July 4, 2023 }} November 10, 2022, ''[[Fox News]],'' retrieved July 4, 2023</ref><ref name="states_2023_07_01_gazette">[[Thomas Cronin|Cronin, Tom]] and Bob Loevy: [https://gazette.com/news/american-federalism-states-veer-far-left-or-far-right-cronin-and-loevy/article_47b241d8-1604-11ee-a860-3383285a990d.html "American federalism: States veer far left or far right,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230704082911/https://gazette.com/news/american-federalism-states-veer-far-left-or-far-right-cronin-and-loevy/article_47b241d8-1604-11ee-a860-3383285a990d.html |date=July 4, 2023 }}, July 1, 2023, updated July 2, 2023, ''[[Colorado Springs Gazette]],'' retrieved July 4, 2023</ref>

In July 2024, after a series of [[Age and health concerns about Joe Biden|age and health concerns]], Biden became the first incumbent president since [[Withdrawal of Lyndon B. Johnson from the 1968 United States presidential election|Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968]] to [[Withdrawal of Joe Biden from the 2024 United States presidential election|withdraw]] from running for reelection, the first since the 19th century to withdraw after serving only one term,{{efn|All three incumbents in the 20th century to withdraw or not seek reelection—Calvin Coolidge, Harry S. Truman, and Lyndon B. Johnson—had succeeded to the presidency when their predecessor died, then won a second term in their own right.<ref name="Klassen-2024"/> Three presidents in the 1800s made and kept pledges to serve only one term, most recently [[Rutherford B. Hayes]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gendler |first1=Alex |title=US presidents who did not seek reelection |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/us-presidents-who-did-not-seek-reelection/7709836.html |work=Voice of America |date=July 23, 2024 |language=en |access-date=July 24, 2024 |archive-date=July 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240724054720/https://www.voanews.com/a/us-presidents-who-did-not-seek-reelection/7709836.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}} and the only one to ever withdraw after already winning [[Democratic Party presidential primaries|the primaries]].<ref name="Klassen-2024">{{cite news |last1=Klassen |first1=Thomas |title=Biden steps aside, setting in motion an unprecedented period in American politics |url=https://theconversation.com/biden-steps-aside-setting-in-motion-an-unprecedented-period-in-american-politics-235189 |access-date=July 24, 2024 |work=The Conversation |date=July 21, 2024 |archive-date=July 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240722044605/https://theconversation.com/biden-steps-aside-setting-in-motion-an-unprecedented-period-in-american-politics-235189 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kenning |first1=Chris |last2=Samuelsohn |first2=Darren |title='It's unprecedented': Biden's exit is a history-making moment in the American presidency |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/22/biden-drops-out-presidential-history/74491426007/ |access-date=July 23, 2024 |work=USA Today |archive-date=July 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240725003155/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/22/biden-drops-out-presidential-history/74491426007/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2024, Vice President [[Kamala Harris]] - who became Biden's replacement on the ballot after his withdrawal from the race - became the first black woman to be nominated by a major party, but she was defeated in the [[2024 United States presidential election|election]] by [[Donald Trump]]. Harris lost the [[United States electoral college|electoral college]] 312-226 (including all seven of the anticipated [[swing state]]s) as well as the popular vote, being the first Democratic candidate to do so since [[John Kerry]] in 2004, amid global anti-incumbent backlash. All 50 states and [[District of Columbia|DC]] shifted rightward compared to 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last=Burn-Murdoch |first=John |date=November 7, 2024 |title=Democrats join 2024's graveyard of incumbents |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e8ac09ea-c300-4249-af7d-109003afb893 |access-date=November 8, 2024 |work=Financial Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/538/democrats-incumbent-parties-lost-elections-world/story?id=115972068|title=Democrats aren't alone — incumbent parties have lost elections all around the world|website=ABC News|first1=Cooper|last1=Burton|date=November 18, 2024|access-date=November 20, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Global Politics"/>

As of 2025, Democrats hold the presidency, 23 [[List of United States governors|state governorships]], 17 [[List of United States state legislatures|state legislatures]], 15 state government [[Government trifecta|trifectas]], and the mayorships in the majority of the country's major cities.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldpress.org/article.cfm/mayors-of-the-30-largest-cities-in-the-united-states |title=Mayors of the 30 Largest Cities in the U.S. |access-date=July 11, 2023 |archive-date=July 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711234205/https://www.worldpress.org/article.cfm/mayors-of-the-30-largest-cities-in-the-united-states |url-status=live}}</ref> Three of the nine current [[U.S. Supreme Court]] justices were appointed by Democratic presidents. By registered members, the Democratic Party is the largest party in the U.S. and the [[List of largest political parties|fourth largest in the world]]. Including the incumbent Biden, 16 Democrats have served as president of the United States.<ref name="sarnold" />