The Evolution of the Blue Dog Coalition: Navigating Ideological Shifts and Embracing Change in American Politics
The Blue Dog Coalition was established in 1995 after the Democratic Party’s devastating losses in the 1994 midterm elections, which gave Republicans control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The group’s name is derived from the term “Yellow Dog Democrat,” which historically referred to Southern Democrats who would allegedly vote for a yellow dog before voting for a Republican. However, the Blue Dog Coalition has mainly represented centrist and fiscally conservative Democrats, often distancing themselves from the party’s more liberal elements. The coalition’s founding members aimed to promote fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense, and bipartisanship. They sought to win over voters who were disillusioned with what they saw as the Democrats’ more liberal positions, predominantly in rural America.
Over the years, the Blue Dog Coalition has fluctuated in size and influence, and its members have played pivotal roles in shaping legislation on issues like budgetary matters, healthcare, and national security. The coalition’s approach is often characterized by a willingness to work across party lines in pursuit of practical solutions. It is worth highlighting that the composition and priorities of the Blue Dog Coalition have evolved over time, and its influence has varied depending on the political climate and the overall balance of power in Congress. Nonetheless, the Blue Dog Coalition remains a significant force in American politics, representing a centrist outlook that seeks to bridge the gap between Democrats and Republicans.
Since the 2018 midterms, the Blue Dogs have evolved ideologically and in terms of makeup. The coalition of predominantly white, male, conservative, southern, and midwestern Democrats is now as diverse as America, with women and people of color in membership and leadership from all regions across the country. This evolution has taken time, and I believe its seeds originated in 2010 with the defeat of notable conservadems like Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Rep. Bobby Bright (AL-02). Over the next 8 years, almost every major conservative Democrat in the House and Senate who were members or allies of the Blue Dogs retired or lost reelection. As of the 2016 election and the shift of college-educated and suburban voters to the democratic party, we saw people such as Rep. Dan Lipinski (IL-03), a conservative Democrat from suburban Chicago, start to face primary challenges come 2018 and officially lose his primary in 2020. We saw even moderate Democrats in rural areas, such as Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01), start to face pressure from constituents for not being conservative enough. He lost to Republican Eli Crane; while redistricting certainly helped accelerate this loss, it was an uphill battle to begin with.
The only notable exception to this by 2018 was Minnesota 7ths longtime representative and Blue Dog Coalition co-founder Collin Peterson. However, with the defeat in 2018 of two important Blue Dog allies in the Senate, Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), neither of whom were especially conservative for their time, a change had to be made. People such as representative Josh Gottheimer joined in 2016. While departing with the party on certain foreign policy and fiscal issues, Gottheimer has remained a reliable vote for the democratic party, having voted with Biden 100% in comparison to former Blue Dogs such as Rep. Lipinski, who didn’t endorse Obama and Rep. Bright, who voted with Democrats around 75% of the time. Carolyn Bourdeaux (GA-07) was also a member while she was in Congress.
While she was in Congress, she was another mainline Democrat who, ideologically, was no different from the New Democrat Coalition, a group of center-left liberals she was a member in. However, she joined the Blue Dogs, a move seen by many as an attempt by her to make her seem more moderate to voters in her district. This backfired when her suburban Atlanta district was drawn to be far more liberal, and voters supported Lucy McBath, who, while ideologically seemingly not too dissimilar to Bourdeaux, is perceived to be further left-wing due to her activism for gun control and her ties to more mainline liberal dems over Bourdeaux and her more centrist democrats. This marked the beginning of a shift in the Blue Dog Coalition from focusing on ideology to aesthetics.
In 2020, we saw the election of Rep. Mary Peltola (AK-AL) and Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), who, along with Jared Golden (ME-02), make up the current leadership of the Blue Dog Coalition. Perez and Peltola are both moderates in a similar vein to the Blue Dogs of old but for the modern coalition. They are moderate in that they are more pro-gun, perhaps even more fiscally moderate than your average Democrat. However, they are, by and large, far from conservative. Peltola voted against a resolution condemning the District of Columbia’s plan to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections and has repeatedly been a champion for LGBT and especially trans rights. Perez is one of the more vocal supporters of abortion rights in Congress. Golden, the most conservative of the three, has recently made a bit of a leftward turn after coming out in favor of an assault weapons ban (something he previously opposed) in the aftermath of the mass shooting in his hometown of Lewiston, Maine.
They draw on populist aesthetics, particularly around their backgrounds prior to joining Congress. Peltola was a reporter, Perez, and her husband own an automobile repair shop, Golden is a Marine Corps veteran who worked at a logistics firm before getting involved in local politics. They challenge the perception of Ivy League-educated lawyers and millionaire consultants that litter much of Congress. They are all very young as well, with Peltola being the oldest of the three at 50, which is still young for much of Congress.
These three have been compared to recent leaders within the Montana Democratic Party, such as incumbent Senator Jon Tester as well as former Governors Steve Bullock and Brian Schweitzer. Despite being ideologically not dissimilar from your average Democrat in a state such as Illinois or Michigan, Bullock, Schweitzer, and Tester stand out to voters in their Red State by prioritizing left-wing policies with broad popular appeal, such as healthcare access and education funding. These democrats have also gained popularity by focusing on local issues. Tester has been a champion for protecting public lands in the Senate, while Peltola focused heavily on fisheries in her 2022 campaign.
Issues such as the cost of living have also taken precedence in recent Blue Dog politics. During her campaign, Perez came out in favor of tapping into the national petroleum reserve as a way to lower gas prices. Peltola voted in favor of the Willow Project, a plan to expand oil drilling in Alaska as a way to help lower gas prices. Jared Golden has spearheaded bipartisan drug labeling legislation and other measures to help lower the cost of prescription drugs since he was first elected in 2018.
This connection to local issues, along with support for certain populist policies while still remaining broadly center-left, has proven to be a recipe for success in winning in congressional districts and states that Donald Trump won. The Blue Dog Coalition has doubled down on this strategy, backing former Aspen city councilman Adam Frisch in a rematch against the infamous republican congresswoman Lauran Boebert (CO-03). They also endorsed Rebecca Cooke, a small business owner and non-profit leader from Eau Claire who is running against Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), who has recently become embattled in scandal due to his poor treatment of congressional staff. Arkansas State Senator Clarke Tucker, who ran for Congress in 2018 and narrowly lost to incumbent French Hill (AR-02), has also been endorsed by the Blue Dog Coalition for the 2024 cycle.
The journey of the Blue Dog Coalition reflects the ever-evolving dynamics within American politics. From its origins as a conservative bulwark within the democratic party, the coalition has navigated ideological shifts, demographic transformations, and changing political landscapes. Over time, the Blue Dogs have adapted, welcoming ideological, racial, and regional diversity into their ranks and adjusting their focus from ideological to aesthetical differences. The recent leadership, represented by Reps. Peltola, Perez, and Golden embody a new era for the coalition, emphasizing local issues, populist policies, and a center-left approach to appeal to voters. By prioritizing kitchen table issues, the Blue Dog Coalition has crafted a strategy that resonates in areas that traditionally lean Republican. As the coalition endorses candidates ahead of the 2024 cycle, it is clear that the Blue Dogs remain a significant force, championing a pragmatic and inclusive vision for American politics, bridging gaps, and navigating the complexities of our ever-changing political landscape.
Edit: since uploading, Rep. Boebert has announced she is running for CO-04 in order to have an easier chance at reelection.
