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Is There a Future for Pragmatism in the Democratic Party?

Is There a Future for Pragmatism in the Democratic Party?

Moderate liberals can win, but they lack the energy and confidence of the left wing.
Michael Warren /
A man and woman with their hands up
Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger with former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at a campaign rally, October 20, 2025, in Charlottesville, VIrginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia—Several minutes before the Tuesday night rally for Abigail Spanberger began, a man on the public address system at the Jefferson Theater on Main Street implored the crowd to start cheering for the Democratic nominee for governor.

“Ab-i-GAIL! Ab-i-GAIL!” the disembodied voice prompted.

Michael Warren is a politics editor at The Dispatch and is based in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining the company in 2023, he was an on-air reporter at CNN and a senior writer at the Weekly Standard. When Mike is not reporting, writing, editing, and podcasting, he is probably spending time with his wife and three sons.

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