Many Democrats don’t think they’ll see a woman become president, AP-NORC poll finds

NEW YORK – Democrats harbor strong feelings of stress and sadness as the new year begins. And many are wondering if their party’s commitment to diverse candidates — especially women – could lead to new political struggles in the era of Donald Trump.

A recent survey of Associated Press-NORC Public Affairs Research Center notes that a significant number of Democrats believe it may be decades before the United States gets its first female president.

Specifically, about four in 10 Democrats said it was “unlikely” or “not at all likely” that a woman would be elected to the nation’s highest office in her lifetime, according to an AP-NORC poll of December. That’s compared to about a quarter of Republicans who think the same thing.

Although discouragement is not unique for a political party after a high-profile defeat, it reflects the deep depression that set in among Democrats about the country and their party after Asset deeply defeated vice-president Kamala Harristhe Democratic candidate.

Such concerns may already be shaping the Democratic National Committee search for a new boss. For the first time in more than a decade, the top candidates for this position are all white men.

And in the longer term, the party’s pessimism is influencing the first discussions on the race for the 2028 presidential nomination.

“We knew men hated women. The last election showed, for some of us, that we underestimate how much some women hate other women,” said Gilda Cobb-HunterDemocratic state representative from South Carolina and former chair of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. “America is as racist and misogynistic as it has always been. »

Democrats have nominated a woman to run against Trump in two of the last three presidential elections. In both cases, Trump won decisively, against Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Harris in 2024. The Democrat who unseated Trump – Joe Biden in 2020 – was a white man.

For many Democrats, the long list of allegations made by women against Trump added insult to injury. He was found responsible before a civil court for sexual abuse and sentenced for a hush money deal involving an adult film star. Once upon a time captured on tape boasting that he could take women’s genitals without their consent because he was a celebrity.

Yet Trump narrowly won every key state in November. Harris had the advantage among women, winning 53% to Trump’s 46%, but that margin was somewhat narrower than Biden’s. Support for Trump has remained steady among white women, with just over half supporting him, the same as in 2020.

Most Democrats — about 7 in 10 — think 2025 will be a worse year for the United States than 2024, according to the AP-NORC poll. That’s compared to about 4 in 10 American adults who feel this way.

The poll also found that Democrats were less likely to feel “happy” or “hopeful” about 2025 for them personally. Instead, about 4 in 10 Democrats said “stressed” described their feelings extremely or very well, while about a third of Democrats said that about the word “gloomy.”

Meanwhile, the majority of Republicans and conservatives said they were “happy” and at least described how they felt about 2025 very well. A similar share said the same about “hopeful” .

“It’s so dark out there right now,” Rachel Wineman, a 41-year-old Democrat from Murrieta, Calif., said when interviewed. “My family and I are circling the wagons, trying to keep our heads down and survive. »

There are signs that the loss has raised questions about the modern Democratic Party’s fundamental commitment to supporting minority groups, including women, while pushing diverse candidates into positions of power.

Some Democratic leaders fear that Trump’s resounding success white working class voters – and his modest gains among Blacks and Latinos during the election – can signal a political realignment it could transform the political landscape for years to come unless the party changes its approach.

The DNC’s vote for chair offers the first clue as to the party’s direction under the second Trump administration. The elections are in three weeks and the main candidates are Ben WiklerPresident of the State of Wisconsin, and Ken MartinChairman of the Minnesota State Party.

Either would be the first white man to hold the position since Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine left office in 2011.

Martin and Wikler are considered the favorites among eight qualified candidates for a DNC candidate forum Saturday, the first of four such gatherings before the Feb. 1 election at the committee’s winter meeting in suburban Washington.