Five years ago, Democrats outnumbered Republicans in Bucks County by about 10,000 voters. Today it’s flipped — Republicans now lead by 9,000. That’s a net swing of nearly 19,000 voters, even as the Republicans dismantle democratic norms, impose illegal tariffs, gut health care, cut research funding, and treat our immigrant neighbors as less than human. As a longtime Democrat who has volunteered for decades to elect good people and strengthen the local party, this is heartbreaking.
The Democratic Party’s stated beliefs — that the economy should work for everyone, that health care is a right, that our diversity is our strength, and that democracy is worth defending — reflect what most Americans actually want.
So why aren’t more people flocking to Democrats? Voters have stopped believing Democrats will deliver.
About 60% of U.S. adults now hold a highly unfavorable view of both parties. Many see no meaningful difference between them. Others are so disillusioned they’re not planning to vote at all. And honestly? Their frustration is earned.
Democratic leadership has too often been ineffective, out of touch with everyday people, and unable — or unwilling — to follow through.
Health care is the starkest example. Even when Democrats held the presidency and large majorities in both chambers of Congress during the Obama administration, they failed to enact universal health care despite widespread public support. The insurance industry’s influence and broken campaign finance laws bear much of the blame. Since then, costs have risen while access and quality have fallen. People are choosing between medication and rent. Medical debt is a leading driver of personal bankruptcy. And yet, during the recent budget fight, Democrats made a very public stand: the budget would not pass without Affordable Care Act subsidies. Then they folded — surrendering their only leverage without getting a single thing in return. As a result, 145,000 Pennsylvanians have canceled their health care coverage. If they can’t hold the line on subsidies, how can anyone expect them to fight for universal healthcare?
Why does this keep happening?
In White-Collar Government, political scientist Nicholas Carnes documents how disconnected our representatives really are: eight of the last 12 presidents were millionaires when they took office; millionaires hold majorities on the Supreme Court and in Congress; the average member has spent less than two percent of their adult life in a working-class job. Beholden to large donors and insulated from everyday struggles, it’s no surprise our representatives so often fail the people they’re supposed to serve.
The solution isn’t to abandon the Democratic Party — it’s to change who leads it.
We’ve seen what that looks like. Zohran Mamdani displaced the party’s handpicked candidate in New York by speaking directly to what voters care about. Bernie Sanders draws genuine enthusiasm precisely because he’s sincere, he doesn’t hedge and he doesn’t fold. People cheered JB Pritzker because he stood up to Trump on immigration enforcement and refused to back down. The Democratic Party needs people like these — bold leaders with fresh ideas and the courage to challenge the establishment from within.
In Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District, that leader is Lucia Simonelli.
I’ve been knocking doors for Lucia, and voters tend to fall into three camps: those already supporting her, those supporting her opponent, and those who haven’t made up their minds. When I ask why people are voting for Lucia, the answers are consistent: her positions align with theirs, they don’t want the status quo, and they believe we need more women in Congress with real policy experience. When I ask why people are voting for her opponent, the answer is almost always the same: because he was endorsed by the party.
That’s it. Not his record. Not his vision. Not his positions. Just the endorsement.
Most undecided voters — and even some who planned to vote the other way — choose Lucia once they hear more about her. They want someone who will fight for the 99%. They’re excited by her commitment to universal healthcare, serious climate action, campaign finance reform, and making the wealthy pay their fair share. They want a leader with real vision who isn’t beholden to special interests — and they recognize that the party endorsement, in this case, is a reason for skepticism, not confidence.
This is the core of the problem. When party loyalty becomes the primary argument for a candidate, rather than what that candidate will actually do in office, we end up with more of the same. We cannot keep expecting different results from the same people making the same compromises.
The voter registration numbers don’t lie — the current approach is failing. If Democrats want to win back the people who have left, and earn the trust of those who have never come, we need to nominate someone they actually believe in — a leader with a clear vision, real command of the issues, no debt to the party machine, and who isn’t afraid to challenge party leadership when the moment demands.
With Lucia Simonelli, Bucks County is winnable. Pennsylvania is winnable. Congress is winnable.
A vote for Lucia Simonelli on May 19 is a vote for the Democratic Party we actually need: a party that fights instead of folds, that listens instead of lectures, that is beholden to the people it represents instead of big donors, and that delivers instead of makes excuses. It’s a vote for the future we all deserve.
