Bill and Hillary Clinton are making their eleventh-hour midterm moves as the party's old guard faces a new reality.
Bill Clinton is heading to Florida to campaign for David Jolly, while Hillary Clinton launches the "High Stakes" podcast with Cara Sweisher ahead of the midterms.
Gotfeld! He wonders if Hillary Clinton would have won if she had been a man
The Clintons are back on the midterm campaign trail — Bill Clinton heads to Florida to challenge Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolley and Hillary Clinton take to the podcast microphone as the party makes its final push toward Election Day.
The former president is scheduled to make his first public campaign appearance of the 2026 election cycle for Jolie, a former Republican congressman turned Democrat, on Oct. 20. Meanwhile, Hillary has teamed up with journalist Kara Swisher for a new midterm-focused podcast series and is making campaign appearances for herself.
The moves plunge two of the Democratic Party's most recognizable figures into a midterm battle as the party grapples with competing visions for its future, raising questions about how much influence the Clintons have as progressive candidates to challenge the Democratic establishment.
Biden Conspicuously Absent On Campaign As Obama, Harris Goes For Midterm Push
While the Clintons remain prominent in Democratic politics, one party strategist says Democrats are more focused on winning the election than looking back on the party's past.
"President Clinton is one of the most gifted political communicators this country has ever known, especially when it comes to connecting with working-class voters on the economic issues that matter most," said Democratic strategist Kevin Walling. "But I don't believe the Democrats are looking to fix Clinton — they're looking for a way back to winning."
Democratic strategist Molly Smith offered a more dubious assessment of the Clintons' reach in the final weeks of the election.
Hillary and Bill are still relevant to some voters. However, they will be most useful in speaking to the Democratic base and those who are heavily involved in politics. Molly Smith: "It's a tough media environment to thrive in, and even current elected officials, let alone former officials, will struggle to get people's attention."
Clinton will appear Oct. 20 at an interfaith event in Hollywood, Fla., alongside Jolie, who faces Republican Rep. Byron Donalds in the race to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Jolie has campaigned for affordability, including reducing property insurance costs through a state-backed catastrophe fund, expanding Medicaid, increasing funding for public schools and supporting abortion rights.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton traveled to Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday to rally support for Democratic candidates Lynne Walls and Dennis Powell at a "Pumpkin, Pie, and Politics" rally.
Hillary Clinton issued an endorsement in the US mid-term elections
Asked how she speaks to Democrats who feel their votes no longer matter, Clinton pointed to a series of national crises that have contributed to voter disillusionment — including her 2016 election loss.
"And you can kind of understand that, for people who feel like they've been through tough times. If you look at the last 25 years in our country, I was a senator in New York on 9/11. That was a blow. The terrible financial crisis of 2008 was terrible for people. We had an election in 2016 that, you know, raised a lot of questions that we're still trying to figure out what really happened, and then "We got infected with Covid." he said during the Nebraska event.
Clinton teamed up with journalist and podcast host Cara Swisher for a six-week limited series titled "High Stakes," which debuted Oct. 14 and will run weekly through mid-November, focusing on the 2026 midterm elections, races and key congressional issues.
The first episode, which aired Wednesday, looks at rising gas, grocery and health care costs, Elon Musk's political spending and how Democrats can turn affordability into a winning message, while examining key Senate races in Michigan and Maine.
Hillary Clinton has admitted that her near-fainting episode on 9/11 in 2016 was a mistake on her part.
"If the former president can help Democrats compete in a challenging state like Florida, and Secretary Clinton's podcast can help spark a fundamental national conversation that's fueling my party, that's certainly positive," Walling said.
Clinton's increased visibility comes as Democratic Socialists of America candidates have won primary victories against incumbents or establishment-backed Democrats in the states of Colorado, New York, and Michigan.
Meet the far-left rebels fighting against the democratic establishment in the 2026 midterms
He added: "The challenge of the Democrats is to use the wisdom and experience of the party's past without overshadowing the next generation of leaders who will determine its future."
Somalis in Minnesota draw Trump's ire after feds raid on Ilhan Omar's DC home.