Democrats gather in California feeling sunny once again

As Democratic Party leaders gathered in Los Angeles for their annual winter meetings this week, for the first time in a long time the mood was warm.

Optimism coursed through the hotel ballrooms, following a string of double-digit wins in off-year elections last month. Democratic National Committee members flocked to California Gov. Gavin Newsom — a likely presidential contender — for selfies and major donors are resurfacing after a period of hibernation. Conan O’Brien, Jane Fonda and Shonda Rhimes joined Illinois Governor JB Pritzker for a major donor gathering, according to an invitation obtained by POLITICO. And Nebraska and Utah officials are among those expressing interest in hosting the party’s novel midterm mini-convention next year, according to three people briefed on the conversations.

The party, broadly, is just feeling like they got their sea legs back,” Newsom told reporters in Los Angeles. “And they’re winning and winning solves a lot of problems.”

DNC Chair Ken Martin nodded to the vibe shift in his own remarks Friday: “I can tell you, it’s a much different feel in this room than a few months ago,” he said.


https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/13/dnc-democratic-national-committee-hope-00689938