{"id":23280,"date":"2026-07-31T16:05:43","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T11:05:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=23280"},"modified":"2026-07-31T16:05:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T11:05:43","slug":"democratic-candidates-grapple-with-past-stances-on-defunding-the-police-ahead-of-key-midterm-races","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=23280","title":{"rendered":"Democratic candidates grapple with past stances on defunding the police ahead of key midterm races"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \"><span class=\"oyrPY qlwaB AGxeB  \">WASHINGTON &#8212; <\/span>Just months before the midterm elections, Democrats hope to convince voters that lawlessness under President Donald Trump\u2019s administration is the biggest threat to their rights and pocketbooks. But the party\u2019s past debates over crime and safety threaten to undermine that pitch.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Across the country, Democratic candidates are grappling with their previous positions calling to \u201cdefund the police\u201d \u2014 a prominent demand during the protests that followed <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/death-of-george-floyd\">George Floyd&#8217;s death<\/a> \u2014 by either reimagining public safety services altogether or redirecting some police departments\u2019 funds to other social programs. Now, they are facing tough questions about their past positions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Democratic leaders fear that the outlier opinions favoring police defunding may again tarnish the party&#8217;s brand and sink its chances of gaining ground in Congress, governor&#8217;s mansions and statehouses nationwide.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cIt was a serious debate in 2020 that arguably cost us some seats that year and caused us to lose on something where we should have had the upper ground, because a few members of our party wanted to have a stylistic debate rather than one on substance,\u201d said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Seawright said to avoid being painted as politically toxic on safety issues, Democrats \u201chave to define the narrative before others define us with the narrative.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">That task may become more challenging as the party grapples with <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/democratic-socialist-mayors-lewis-george-mamdani-5c32504d1506a392b6eb1a64460f7966\">a rising left flank<\/a> that has captivated its base, just as Republicans move to make warnings about crime, immigration and growing support for democratic socialism core to their <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-republicans-democrats-communism-election-2026-5381c24e8eb4235ae993e812ad45ffbd\">closing midterm message<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In Wisconsin, a swing state known for razor-thin elections that President Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024, <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wisconsin-governor-hong-socialist-democrats-barnes-3387bbcf863f2e9c9781477c3e7a4d46\">insurgent democratic socialist<\/a> State Rep. Francesca Hong has upended the Democratic gubernatorial primary by running far to the left in a state where independent and moderate voters are key in statewide races. A single mother and former line cook, Hong has captured the imaginations of liberal Democrats upset with the party establishment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">But she\u2019s also <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/wisconsin-early-voting-democratic-primary-governor-00c1c41792670451ef2080e0c3f6e0ad\">raised concerns<\/a> among more moderate Democrats that her past support for defunding the police would hurt her chances in the general election against Trump-backed <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-tom-tiffany-endorsement-wisconsin-governor-ba00045a282245436b822656fc80e6a7\">Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cI support defunding the police as a first step towards abolishing the police,\u201d Hong said in a <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FrancescaHongWI\/status\/1297931960124416001?s=20\">2020 social media post<\/a> after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin. A year later, while serving in the State Assembly, Hong again <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/FrancescaHongWI\/status\/1297931960124416001?s=20\">posted about Blake<\/a>, writing: \u201cPolice exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can\u2019t be an option.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">But as a candidate for governor, Hong had softened her tone while not disavowing her past statements. On Tuesday night, in the only televised debate ahead of the Aug. 11 primary, Hong said she did not support cutting police funding.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cThe governor cannot defund the police and I\u2019m not here to govern by slogan,\u201d Hong said. \u201cI\u2019m here to make sure that I am the governor that is most serious about public safety, and that means investing in the things that we know prevent crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In neighboring Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a staunch progressive, has faced questions about his <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/07\/politics\/kfile-abdul-el-sayed-michigan-senate-defund-police-fact-check\">past support for defunding the police<\/a>. Last November, CNN reported that the public health researcher and Rhodes scholar had deleted scores of posts expressing support for defunding the police. He now says he rejects the idea.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">And in New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has tried to distance himself from his past criticisms of the city\u2019s police department and a previous call to defund the agency. He is at times still dogged by a set of social media posts he made in 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, where he described the department as \u201cracist, anti-queer <!-- -->&amp;<!-- --> a major threat to public safety\u201d and pushed to \u201cDefund this rogue agency.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Mamdani apologized for the language during his campaign and stressed that he no longer wanted to defund the agency. He has since moved to ease lingering concerns by retaining his predecessor\u2019s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, an establishment moderate respected by the city\u2019s business leaders and law enforcement community. That decision angered some of Mamdani\u2019s progressive allies.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The backtracking illustrates how the politics of criminal justice have shifted since 2020, posing dilemmas for Democrats\u2019 midterm strategy and their ability to enact their preferred solutions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The stakes are life and death for communities caught in the middle of the political debate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In Memphis, Tennessee, residents are exhausted at being thrust into the national discourse over crime and safety. The president surged the city with National Guard troops last year as part of an \u201canti-crime\u201d task force. The task force has faced renewed local backlash after federal agents earlier this month <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/memphis-tennessee-national-guard-shooting-0ee15a07db84a17d709a1f0345858465\">killed a man experiencing a mental health crisis<\/a> and <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"http:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/memphis-shooting-task-force-federal-eea039cff91552f547359dd4acd32e04\">another person during an altercation<\/a> while agents executed a drug warrant. The city&#8217;s local Democratic lawmakers claim that the tough-on-crime policies only temporarily reduced crime while troop presence was at its peak.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cThey don\u2019t like how it was done, how President Trump and the governor were able to snap their fingers, and all of a sudden we see federal agents flooding our city,\u201d said State Sen. London Lamar, who represents Memphis and has faced tough questions from constituents and her statehouse colleagues about how to address crime in the city.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">But Lamar added that outside of frustrated local progressive activists, residents outraged by the administration&#8217;s anti-crime crackdown were still skeptical of calls to \u201cdefund the police.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cIt&#8217;s not really sticking because, though it&#8217;s quietly kept, the vast majority of the community still wants law enforcement&#8217;s presence,\u201d said Lamar. The debate is a useful distraction, Lamar said, from real conversations over how to boost public safety. <\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">\u201cOur challenges are being exploited for political gain,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WASHINGTON &#8212; Just months before the midterm elections, Democrats hope to convince voters that lawlessness under President Donald Trump\u2019s administration is the biggest threat to their rights and pocketbooks. But the party\u2019s past debates over crime and safety threaten to undermine that pitch. Across the country, Democratic candidates are grappling with their previous positions calling&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23281,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/d2547d40-d219-452c-ae2d-b5aa6e306b5f\/wirestory_56aa19ac994d73900d7b7c25d9fc1092_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23280"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23280\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23281"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}