By The Democratic National Committee has decided not to publicly release a detailed internal review examining the party’s losses in the 2024 elections, reversing an earlier pledge by its chairman and reopening debate over transparency and accountability inside the party as Democrats look toward the next presidential cycle.
The internal assessment, compiled from interviews and discussions with hundreds of party officials and activists across all 50 states, was designed to analyze the causes of Democrats’ defeats, including the presidential race. Party leaders ultimately concluded that releasing the full document could complicate efforts to regroup and refocus ahead of future contests, according to The Daily Caller.
DNC Chairman Ken Martin defended the decision in a statement emphasizing forward momentum over retrospective scrutiny. “We completed a comprehensive review of what happened in 2024 and are already putting our learnings into motion,” Martin said. “In our conversations with stakeholders from across the Democratic ecosystem, we are aligned on what’s important, and that’s learning from the past and winning the future.”
He added: “Here’s our North Star: does this help us win? If the answer is no, it’s a distraction from the core mission.”
The move comes as Democrats continue to grapple with the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s victory over then–Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the party’s nominee after President Joe Biden exited the race in July 2024 amid mounting concerns about his debate performance and age.
Accounts of the unreleased review indicate it flagged declining support among younger voters, the political costs of the late change at the top of the ticket, and a defensive posture on immigration and public safety—areas where Republicans gained traction. Notably, the document did not cite Biden’s age as a contributing factor.
The decision to keep the report internal has frustrated some Democratic strategists. New York–based consultant Alyssa Cass criticized what she described as an aversion to deeper self-examination. “A handful of wins is not the same as the rehabilitation of the Democratic brand, which is required to build real governing majorities and a national coalition,” Cass said. “Achieving that requires real soul-searching and new ideas, and it would be nice for candidates and campaigns to know they had a partner in that hard work, instead of an institutional structure buried in the sand.”
Many Democrats have simply ignored the takeaway lessons from 2024, and it’s been disastrous, according to recent polling. A Quinnipiac University survey found just 18% of voters approve of congressional Democrats’ performance, with 73% disapproving—an historic low. An Emerson College poll, however, showed Democrats holding a narrow two-point edge in the generic congressional ballot heading into the 2026 midterms.
Cong Dems now have a -55 net approval, an all-time low & lower than the Dead Sea.
2 causes: Dems gives them a -6 pt net approval(!), & they're at -61 pts with indies!
The effect? Dems lead on the generic ballot is less than half of what it was at this pt in the 06 & 18 cycles. pic.twitter.com/Os17D7BkHR
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) December 18, 2025
Despite fundraising slowdowns and Martin’s own acknowledgment earlier this year that Democrats are widely seen as out of touch with working-class voters, the party is already looking ahead. Harris, meanwhile, has emerged as the early front-runner in Democratic primary polling for 2028 and has taken a series of high-profile steps widely interpreted as positioning for another presidential run, including sustained national travel, continued donor outreach, and close engagement with key Democratic constituencies.
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