New Jersey Democrats are following the same playbook that allowed Donald Trump to be re-elected as president in 2024. This weekend, after the incident with Ras Baraka being arrested before a violent clash at a Newark ICE detention center, resulted in Democrats rallying behind the Newark mayor, in a push to free illegal criminal migrants from the facility.
But, why are they continuing to support such unpopular actions and platforms>?
Pollster Matt Towery’s remarks on Fox News Friday underscore a broader national trend of Democratic decline that is particularly evident in New Jersey. Towery warned that Democrats are entrenched in a losing strategy focused on divisive cultural issues and anti-Trump theatrics instead of pivoting to economic concerns that resonate with working-class voters. National favorability for the Democratic Party has dropped to a record-low 29%, a decline that reflects dissatisfaction not only with leadership but also with the party’s direction. Towery noted that internal party fractures and a failure to respond to polling are further eroding support, with no clear message or unifying figure for the future.
This dynamic is playing out in New Jersey, where Democrats have doubled down on controversial policies such as protecting criminal illegal immigrants through sanctuary measures, prioritizing wind energy projects that have faced local opposition, and using divisive rhetoric on race and gender. Instead of addressing voter concerns over affordability, crime, and education, state Democrats continue to emphasize national partisan battles—particularly their opposition to Donald Trump—while their support base erodes. The focus on national ideological fights, rather than pragmatic governance, mirrors the national strategy Towery criticized.
As internal divisions widen between moderates and progressives, New Jersey Democrats face growing backlash from working-class communities that once formed the core of their coalition. With over half of Democratic-aligned voters saying the party is heading in the wrong direction, and as state lawmakers echo the national party’s unpopular priorities, New Jersey Democrats risk repeating the same strategic failures that have led to losses across the country.
Pollster Explains Why Democrats Choose To Double Down On What Already Blew Up In Their Faces
Pollster Matt Towery said on Fox News Friday that Democrats are charging headfirst into the same losing strategy that cratered their support among working-class voters in recent election cycles.
Democratic Party favorability has plummeted to a record-low 29% in March, dropping 20 points since 2021. During an appearance on “The Ingraham Angle,” Towery said rather than pivot toward economic messaging that could resonate with voters, the party appears locked into divisive cultural rhetoric and aggressive posturing that has alienated much of the middle class.
“They’re doubling down on everything that doesn’t work. They’re getting these poll results back that say, ‘Oh, the people in your party want you to be tougher on Trump.’ And hence you have incidents like today in Newark,” Towery told host Laura Ingraham.
Towery explained what he said is the Democratic Party’s current trajectory.
“They are taking the exact wrong direction. And you see the elders of the party, the folks who’ve been around a long time say, ‘No, no, no, you can’t do this.’ No one’s listening,” Towery said.
The infighting doesn’t stop there.
“And, by the way, do you think AOC and the squad like [Democratic Rep] Jasmine [Crockett of Texas] right now? I think she’s taking a little spotlight away from them,” Towery said. “So there’s going to be a big battle at some point as to who’s going to be the darling of the Democratic Party. And, like you said, she’s sort of leapfrogging over at this moment.”
A majority of Democratic-aligned adults say their party’s leadership is steering them in the wrong direction, with 52% expressing dissatisfaction. Even before several Senate Democrats supported a GOP-led spending bill, lawmakers had already begun calling for [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer to step down.
Since President Donald Trump’s victory in November, Democrats have failed to rally around a clear message or leader for the 2026 midterms. Some blame a lack of policy focus, while others point to deeper messaging problems within the party.
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