Democrats celebrated major victories nationally this week, yet we lost in my own congressional district, a diverse area that includes a small part of New York City and Long Island.

I represent a swing district. In 2024, my constituents chose both me, a Democrat, and President Donald Trump. Voters here, like many across America, care less about party and more about who will make life affordable, safe and fair.

If Democrats want to keep winning in purple areas in 2026 and beyond, they need to address people’s real concerns. Leaders like Abigail Spanberger, Mikie Sherrill, Zohran Mamdani and even Trump in 2024 spoke to the central issue people face: affordability.

Governors-elect Spanberger and Sherrill offered pragmatic solutions. While Mamdani and Trump also tapped into real frustration about economic insecurity and political alienation, their extreme populism, be it socialist or MAGA, offers the wrong answers. Both promise simple cures: Tear down the system and punish the elites.

But tearing down is easy. Building something takes real work.

To sustain our momentum, Democrats must put forward a positive platform that works in liberal strongholds like New York City, but also in other cities, suburbs and rural communities. That platform should stand on the principles that built our party: government must ensure hard work is rewarded and no one is left out of our journey toward a more perfect union. America has enjoyed extraordinary growth and prosperity. That success should be applauded, yet too many have been left out of the deal.

Populism is rising because Americans are disillusioned. It’s easy to see why. Polls show top concerns are affordability, immigration, taxes, crime and health care. When asked what Democrats stand for, the same polls cite choice, LGBT protections, health care, saving democracy and climate change. While these issues are important, they are not what most Americans worry about daily.

Republicans, too, are failing. Reckless tariffs, rolled-back energy projects, high health care costs, and spiraling interest rates from the “Big Beautiful Bill” have driven up prices.

If Democrats don’t return to our roots, populists from both extremes will keep filling the void. We urgently need to redefine mainstream Democratic principles: we are capitalist, not socialist; mainstream, not extreme; for safety, not lawlessness; for reform, not the status quo; proud, not ashamed of our country.

Our middle-class platform is built around five main points:

Reward hard work with higher wages, employee profit sharing, and expanded trade schools and entrepreneurial incentives. Capitalism must work for everyone, and the excess of concentrated wealth must be tempered with fairness. A full-time job should enable a person to own a home, educate their kids, pay for health care and retire without fear. Policy must favor workers.

Drive down the cost of living. Let Medicare and Medicaid negotiate with Big Pharma for lower prices. Break up monopolies that gouge consumers. Expand affordable housing, childcare and health care. Lower energy and housing costs by increasing supply to meet demand. Help relieve medical debt.

Support secure borders, safe neighborhoods and the rule of law, guided by economic interests and moral principles, not masked agents creating chaos.

We must confront isolation. From teens lost in screens to seniors living alone, we face an epidemic of loneliness, depression and addiction. We must hold digital platforms accountable for addictive and destructive content while rebuilding civic institutions, patriotism and shared national pride.

Lastly, let’s reform government. Government must earn back trust by confronting inefficiency, waste, and debt — using a scalpel, not a sledgehammer. We need less gerrymandering, which currently forces officials to pander to their political bases.

If Democrats hope to lead a restless nation, we must lay out a clear platform rooted in a commitment to the middle class and those aspiring to it, based on the ideals of our party’s past, yet envisioned for a new age. We must fight for those who work hard, raise families and build communities. To strengthen our country and restore faith in its promise, those I call New Kinds of Old-Fashioned Democrats must lead the way.

This guest essay reflects the views of Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), who represents the 3rd Congressional District.