‘Squad’ member says Dems can’t ‘fall into elitism and laziness’ after Harris loss

WASHINGTON (TNND) — The outgoing Rep. Jamaal Bowman, DN.Y., declared that the Democratic Party cannot “descend to elitism and laziness” in the wake of Wednesday’s presidential election results.

Rep. Bowman, a member of the progressive congressional “Squad,” was a vocal supporter of Vice President Kamala Harris during her campaign. The congresswoman in July was among the earliest Democratic lawmakers to endorse Harris after President Joe Biden left the race, calling her the “best choice to take us forward.”

While reacting to the vice president’s loss Wednesday, Rep. Bowman the Democratic Party to “engage in some serious soul searching.” He explained that the party needs to assess why many Americans are not “aligned” with it.

“New voices and leadership are desperately needed, along with deep listening and learning across diverse groups,” said Rep. Bowman. “Democrats cannot fall into elitism or laziness, and we must not simply concede problems to a so-called ‘moderate’ center.”

The congressman, who lost his Democratic primary race in June, went on to note what strategies the Republican Party had taken that he feels contributed to President-elect Donald Trump’s victory.

They take an issue, regardless of the initial popularity of their position, jump in and leverage any communication stream they have to speak to and activate their base. Democrats simply don’t do this,” he said.

Rep. Bowman advised Democrats to begin placing “kitchen table issues” at the forefront of their efforts, arguing that the party “must speak to the needs and aspirations of everyday Americans.”

The Democratic Party received one similar calls from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Wednesday. The senator, who is a registered independent but caucuses with Democrats, called it no surprise that a party that “abandoned working class people” lost the presidential election.

“First it was the white working class, and now it’s Latino and black workers,” he said. “While the Democratic leadership is defending the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.”

Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., too encouraged Democrats will begin “soul searching” on Wednesday, saying the party is “getting the message from a lot of people that we’re not hearing them.”

In his concession speech Wednesday, Harris urged his supporters to keep “fighting.”

“This is not a time to throw up your hands. This is a time to roll up your sleeves,” the vice president declared.