Good morning and welcome back to The Wolf’s Den. It’s Tuesday, June 2nd and we have some big news coming from vital swing state campaigns today.
Today, we are seeing two races in particular stand out as important indicators of where Democrats are succeeding most against Donald Trump in states that Donald Trump one. We are seeing North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, now running for Senate, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, running for reelection, up big in the polls.
I will break down everything you need to know about why they are running so far ahead, beating back factional debates within the Democratic Party and uniting Democrats to win big in November.
But before I continue, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today to support my work. Your paid subscription will get you more exclusive access to content, myself and the important work being done to help Democrats win the majority in 2026. Thank you for your support.
There is a lot of political noise right now. There always is. Every day, there is a new fight on social media, a new factional argument inside the Democratic Party, a new national storyline that tries to pull every candidate into the same endless debate. But underneath all of that noise, something very important is happening in the states that will decide the future of this country.
Moderate Democrats are winning. And not just barely winning. In some of the most critical swing races in America, they are blowing Republicans out of the water.
That should matter to every Democrat who is serious about defeating Donald Trump, stopping MAGA extremism, and building a governing majority that can actually deliver for working people.
Look at North Carolina. Roy Cooper, the former Democratic governor and now Senate candidate, is showing exactly why pragmatic leadership still works. Recent polling has had Cooper leading his Republican opponent by as much as eleven points. That is not happening by accident. Cooper has spent years building trust with voters by focusing on the issues that matter most to North Carolinians. He has not spent his career chasing cable news fights or trying to become the loudest voice in the room. He has focused on getting things done.
That is the lesson.
Cooper has managed to stay above the fray at a moment when so many politicians are dragged into nationalized political combat. He is not defined by scandal. He is not defined by controversy. He is not defined by factional infighting. He is defined by competence, decency, moderation, and results. In a state like North Carolina, that matters.
The same thing is happening in Pennsylvania with Governor Josh Shapiro. New polling has shown Shapiro leading his Republican opponent by a staggering twenty-four points. That is almost unheard of in a state as competitive as Pennsylvania. But again, it makes sense when you look at the kind of leader Shapiro has been. He has built a brand around pragmatism. He has focused on solving problems. He has not allowed himself to be boxed into the most toxic corners of our politics.
And voters are rewarding him for it.
This is the bigger point Democrats need to understand. Donald Trump is weak. MAGA is weak. Republicans are being dragged down by a deeply unpopular agenda, an unstable leader, and candidates who are too extreme for the communities they are trying to represent. But Democrats still have to nominate and support candidates who can take advantage of that weakness. We cannot afford to fall into Trump’s trap. We cannot allow every race to become a national circus where Democrats are forced to defend the most controversial voices in the party.
The candidates who are performing best are the candidates who are rooted in their states, focused on kitchen-table issues, and trusted by the voters they are trying to serve.
We are seeing this in Michigan, where Haley Stevens has been polling stronger than other Democrats against Mike Rogers.
If we are committed to defeating Donald Trump and MAGA, should we not be sending out our best candidates in order to do that?
We are seeing this in Texas, where James Talarico has emerged as one of the strongest Democratic hopes against Ken Paxton because he is seen as serious, values-driven, and able to reach voters beyond the Democratic base. We are seeing it in Ohio, where Sherrod Brown remains one of the best examples of a Democrat who can speak directly to working people without sounding like he is reading from a national party script.
That does not mean Democrats should abandon our values. Quite the opposite. It means we should communicate those values in a way that actually wins. Protecting democracy, defending reproductive freedom, standing up for workers, lowering costs, fighting corruption, and preserving basic decency are not fringe positions. They are majority positions when delivered by candidates voters trust.
The path forward is not complicated. Democrats need to nominate leaders who are normal, grounded, pragmatic, and focused on results. Leaders who do not spend every day trying to win Twitter. Leaders who understand that politics is not just about making a point. It is about winning power and using that power to improve people’s lives.
Moderates are proving they can win in the places Democrats have to win in order to defeat MAGA. North Carolina. Pennsylvania. Michigan. Ohio. Texas. These are the battlegrounds that will decide whether MAGA keeps control or whether Democrats build the kind of majority needed to move this country forward.
The lesson is clear: when Democrats focus on getting things done, when we nominate candidates who can speak to the middle, and when we refuse to take Donald Trump’s bait, we win.
And right now, moderates are showing the party exactly how it is done.
-Ethan
