Surprise election upset shows hating Trump is no longer enough as Democratic voters turn to new playbook

A growing number of Democrats who grabbed national attention as they led the resistance to President Donald Trump during his first term in the White House are the latest casualties in this year's primary battle between the party's left-wing and the establishment.

The latest victim: Alexander Vindman, who gained national prominence nearly a decade ago as the then-Army lieutenant colonel and National Security Council official served as a key witness against Trump during the president's first impeachment trial.

Vindman, who made resisting Trump a key part of his Senate bid, was upset Tuesday in Florida's Democratic Senate primary by state Rep. Angie Nixon. A Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member, Nixon landed a double-digit victory over Vindman despite being outspent by a roughly 10-to-1 margin.

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His defeat, as well as losses to challengers from the far-left by other one-time resistance stars such as Reps. Diana DeGette of Colorado and Dan Goldman of New York, appear to point to shifting priorities for a Democratic base moving left, starving for change, and eager to use midterm election victories to escape the political wilderness.

Also falling short so far this primary season are Reps. Shri Thanedar of Michigan and Al Green of Texas, who led Trump impeachment pushes. They both went down to younger challengers. Meanwhile, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, who was a member of key committees handling Trump's second impeachment in 2021, fell short as he bid for the Senate.

A congressional run by longtime Trump critic George Conway, a co-founder of the anti-Trump Republican group the Lincoln Project, failed to ignite. And former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who was honored for his efforts during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, lost for a second straight cycle as he campaigned for a congressional seat in Maryland.

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Billionaire Tom Steyer, an environmental and political activist and former Democratic presidential candidate who helped bankroll the resistance during Trump's first term, unsuccessfully ran for California governor this year. And Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, who along with DeGette was a manager of the 2021 Trump impeachment, dropped his gubernatorial bid and quit Congress amid mounting sexual assault and harassment allegations, which he denied.

Veteran Democratic political commentator Ben Rhodes, who served as a leading official in former President Barack Obama's administration, has repeatedly argued that opposition to Trump is insufficient to build a lasting political movement. He has emphasized that to win at the ballot box, Democrats must articulate how they'll help address voters' economic concerns and day-to-day frustrations.

Shannon Jackson, a longtime progressive political strategist and grassroots organizer best known for his leadership roles in Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, told Fox News Digital that "it’s not enough anymore just to oppose Trump."

Referring to the onetime resistance leaders who lost their primaries this year, Jackson said, "They’ve stood up to Trump, but the fact is it’s not enough anymore. We need to recognize why Trump won, we need to recognize the failings of the Democratic Party and the Democratic leaders who have gotten us to this point, and we need to improve upon it."

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Jackson, a top consultant for progressive leader Rep. Ro Khanna of California, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, said "what really happened is that we’ve seen the progressive movement succeed… it’s an entire wave that’s coming across the country."

While progressives and socialist-aligned candidates have bested establishment-backed contenders in a slew of nomination showdowns this spring and summer, including high-profile Senate primaries this month in Michigan, Minnesota, and Florida, moderates are also scoring victories.

The center's latest wins came in Florida, where Rep. Jared Moskowitz crushed a DSA-backed challenger on Tuesday. The same day longtime Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, a former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair, won renomination in a dramatically altered district against four candidates, including a socialist.

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Longtime strategist and political commentator Maria Cardona, a DNC committee member, told Fox News Digital she doesn't buy the narrative that "huge heroes of Trump resistance one are just not cutting it anymore."

"Voters want someone who is going to fight for them. Whether or not you call yourself establishment, a moderate, a progressive, or DSA, voters don’t care. Voters want to see you fighting for them," Cardona emphasized.

Cardona said "whether you are a Abdul El-Sayed, who is new on the scene, or a Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who has been there for decades but who has delivered for her community and is still seen as a fighter, you’re going to win. You have to deliver. That’s the secret."