Losing an election is never easy, for any party.
And for the Democratic Party, the U.S. 2024 election defeat was a particularly difficult loss after a campaign where their candidate, Kamala Harris had only 107 days to gain traction after President Joe Biden stepped aside in July.
This past year, then, has seen the party turning within, examining its resounding defeat to Donald Trump, then looking ahead to the next four years until 2028.
In November of this year, over 53,000 positions were open for voting across the country, including local government, judiciary appointments, state representatives and mayoral elections.
Since January, a broad sweep of key elections has gone to the Democrats, while yesterday saw some stunning victories in results they’re claiming are as much for them as they are a victory over the Trump administration.
Overnight, Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherill won their respective Gubernatorial races in Viginia and New Jersey, but it’s the election of Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old Muslim man of Ugandan origin as New York Mayor that everyone’s talking about.
And, as the UK wakes up to very different news from the US this morning than they did almost a year ago, what are the thoughts of some local Democratic Party representatives?
Earlier this week, I spoke with Francesca Guitierrez, a long-time Oxford resident, Chair of the Oxford branch of Dems Abroad and a dual British/U.S. national.
Beginning in 1964 after the election of Lyndon B. Johnson, the Dems Abroad now operate 52 branches across 190 countries, actively encouraging U.S. citizens to participate in their nation’s democratic process.
Aside from wanting to hear her perspective on the past year since the election loss, I was curious about who the Dems Abroad are and why their work is important.
Why did the Dems lose the 2024 election?
This is the key question, still being asked and still being discussed, a year on.
For Francesca, the answer comes down to misinformation and the Dem’s struggle to address it in the lead up to the election, saying, ‘we need to have a better story when reaching out, especially to the working and the middle class. There are a lot of things that were great benefits to both of those groups of constituents that happened under the Biden administration.’
She added that an understanding of and investment in social media will be a key factor in changing their narrative to ensure that their message landed with people they haven’t previously reached.
Moving forward, she feels that the Dems need to join the conversation, actively address misinformation and put together a party-specific social media strategy targeting new voters.
What Are the Differences Between UK and US Political Systems?
UK citizens often observe differences between the U.S. and UK political systems, so I asked her to explain.
Her response was that on the surface, while the systems look similar, they are actually very different in some important areas.
In the US, individual candidates are chosen before raising their own money, hiring their own campaign managers, and taking their own stances on different issues. This means that the party isn’t formal or full-time party, and that it’s the voters who choose both candidates and leaders, unlike in the UK.
Wouldn’t It Be Easier If They Had a Permanent Leader?
This is another familiar question for Francesca, who explained that although they have permanent Party and Committee Chairs, the main differences are that there are no permanent leaders or shadow government, meaning that the party recreates itself in the lead up to every general election, before being mostly dismantled post-election.
And while this has worked in the past, they’ve identified that investing in longer term, consistent Party structure to support candidates could be beneficial.
What Are They Doing Now?
I put to Francesca the perception of some commentators, critics and even Democratic Party supporters that since the 2024 election, the Party is unseen and unheard and no one quite knows what’s happening with them.
She is adamant that they are busily preparing, actively listening to people across a broader base than previously, and holding Town Halls, where, as she says, people who express dissenting views or disagree with what they hear are not facing arrest as has been happening at some Republican events.
Was The 2024 Election Result a Surprise?
I was curious to know whether the election result had been a surprise to her, and in turn, I was surprised by her answer - yes.
She shared how difficult the result had been to accept, that she’d hoped that more voters would remember the first Trump administration’s Covid response, and that it was as though there were two information universes.
Francesca also believes that had people fully understood that they were voting for cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, there may have been a different outcome.
Why Are The Dems Abroad Important?
Many Americans who live overseas do not realise that they have the right to vote, in federal elections, and some in state and local elections.
So the role of Dems Abroad is is multi-purpose: finding American citizens and encouraging them to vote. Crucially, however, they do not instruct anyone on how to vote.
But why is this important and why do the Dems Abroad work so hard to make sure that people participate in U.S. elections?
Preventing Voter Suppression
Francesca explained that while it’s always been challenging for people to vote from outside the U.S., that it’s getting more difficult due to changes in policy by the Trump administration in what the Dems Abroad believes is an attempt at voter suppression.
As apart of this strategy, they’ve come up with initiatives including educating U.S. students.
Students
In Oxford, they have a large presence at freshers Fares every year, complete with everything needed to make voting easy.
To ensure that the students are informed and have access to free, fair information, they refer them to Ballotpedia, an unbiased site aimed at educating American voters.
The Oxford branch also host gatherings aimed at Americans but open to all. One’s called Pints and Politics, where, as the name suggests, people gather to discuss U.S. politics each month.
Contribution to Election Result Outcomes
Aside from hanging out together, why is the Dems Abroad’s work important?
In the 2020 election, their vote, made up of all kinds of U.S. citizens including military and civilian, made a significant difference in two key swing states, Georgia and Arizona.
Protests
During our interview, I observed to Francesca the irony of holding ‘No Kings’ protests in London, asking why they still participated this far from home.
She explained that Dems Abroad believe that while protests are effective in the States, here, protests are aimed at raising awareness, and that they work with other groups within the UK who are also protesting.
Dems Abroad Statement Regarding US Election Results from November 4, 2025
‘Zohran Mamdani ran on message of affordability and inclusivity and protecting New Yorkers from the Trump regime. His message clearly resonated. We’re excited to have this young, clear-thinking leader as the first Muslim mayor of New York City. His election, in conjunction with the Blue Wave that propelled Democratic candidates to win in VA, NJ and elsewhere across the country, show people are fed up with Trump and want to fight what he’s doing. Yesterday’s results are the highlight of a string of victories since January where Democratic candidates have won in 44 out of 45 key state and local elections all across the US.’