Sen. Elizabeth Warren urged Democrats to "read the room" and make an aggressive economic agenda the party’s central message to win working-class voters. She argued Democrats must rebuild durable trust, prioritize concrete plans to lower costs, and focus on affordability as a cornerstone of future campaigns. Warren highlighted housing as an immediate campaign priority and recalled her role in proposing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She emphasized the economy should be the "tip of the spear" for Democrats heading into 2026.
Elizabeth Warren: Democrats Must ‘Read The Room’ and Make the Economy Their Core Message
Senator Elizabeth Warren holds a discussion at the National Press Building on January 12, 2026, in Washington, DC. - Heather Diehl/Getty Images
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Monday urged Democratic leaders to "read the room" and broaden the party's appeal to working-class voters by making a focused economic agenda the centerpiece of their messaging.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Warren argued that many Americans are "stretched to the breaking point financially" and will back candidates who clearly identify problems and credibly promise to challenge a rigged system and fix it.
"A party that worries more about offending big donors than delivering for working people is a party that is doomed to fail — in 2026, 2028, and beyond," Warren said, calling for Democrats to rebuild trust with everyday voters.
Warren, the Massachusetts senator and a 2020 presidential contender, has long championed populist policies and tougher regulation of large corporations. As Democrats head into critical midterm cycles, she proposed that an "aggressive economic vision" be the party’s strategic cornerstone.
Why Economy-First?
Warren pointed to Democratic gains in recent 2025 off-year elections in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City, where candidates who emphasized affordability and cost-of-living issues saw strong results. She urged that every Democratic candidate present concrete plans to lower costs for families.
Warren also cited polling showing economic concerns remain top of mind: a December CNN poll found 22% of respondents said improving the cost of living or the economy was the single thing Democratic leaders could do to make life better.
Building Trust And A Bigger Tent
Warren said the party's first task is to rebuild "long-term, durable trust" and to expand a "big tent" of voters who believe Democrats understand what is broken and have the courage to fix it — even if that means taking on the wealthy and well-connected.
Senate Democrats are already laying groundwork: last week Warren and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer launched an election-year effort focused on housing affordability, signaling how the party might center pocketbook issues on the campaign trail.
Warren also reminded listeners of her longer record on consumer protection: as a law professor she proposed the concept for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2007; the CFPB was created in 2011 and has since drawn conservative criticism. Warren said the agency remains an important defender of consumers even as opponents, including President Donald Trump, have sought to curb its authority since returning to office in 2025.
In a post-speech question-and-answer session, Warren declined to explicitly say Democrats should downplay social issues such as abortion rights or immigration. Instead she stressed that the economic message must be "the tip of the spear," reflecting what voters want to hear and providing the foundation for future campaigns.
"It is the thing that American people are telling us they want us to talk about," Warren said. "I'm trying to lay the foundation for how Democrats run in 2026, and I think we do that on a solid foundation that is based on our economics."
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