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Barker Writes Op-Ed

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Evan Barker, a Democratic campaign operative and former fundraiser, has dropped a bombshell on the political world by announcing her departure from the Democratic Party. After years of raising tens of millions of dollars for Democratic candidates, Barker’s disillusionment reached its peak at last month’s Democratic National Convention (DNC). In a scathing op-ed for Newsweek, she shared how the glitz and elitism on display left her feeling “disenchanted” with the party’s leadership and its disconnect from everyday Americans.

Barker, who once passionately supported the party, was excited to volunteer at the DNC, where Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the presidential nomination. However, her experience at the convention was anything but uplifting. She described being submerged in an atmosphere that felt utterly detached from the struggles of ordinary people. “I couldn’t escape a sinking feeling,” she wrote, recounting how the convention felt more like a lavish spectacle than a reflection of the concerns of working-class Americans. The DNC’s slogans, like “Brat summer” and “Joy,” only deepened her sense that the party had lost touch with its base.

Raised in a blue-collar, union Democrat family in Kansas City, Barker’s connection to the party was personal. But the values she grew up with seemed a distant memory amidst the Democratic elite. “At the DNC, I couldn’t help but think about my family,” she said, reflecting on how many of them no longer support the party. What the elites chanted as “We’re not going back,” Barker heard as a dismissal of the very people who built the party’s foundation—working-class union members like her family.

Her disillusionment didn’t happen overnight. Years of working inside Democratic campaigns had given her a front-row seat to what she now sees as a deeply hypocritical system. She candidly described how campaigns coddle wealthy donors, trading influence for hefty checks while preaching against the influence of big money in politics. “Democrats love to decry money in politics when it comes to the Koch brothers or Elon Musk, but the billionaires who support Democrats are given a total pass and have a huge influence over policy,” she noted. The stark hypocrisy hit home, as Barker realized the system wasn’t broken; it was working exactly as designed—to keep working-class Americans from true representation.

Barker’s criticisms didn’t stop there. She blasted the Democratic Party for embracing foreign policy positions reminiscent of the Bush era, accusing them of becoming the “party of war.” She pointed out the staggering $175 billion spent on funding the war in Ukraine while working-class communities at home continue to suffer from the effects of neoliberal trade policies. Her incredulity peaked when Vice President Harris proudly touted an endorsement from none other than Dick Cheney—a figure synonymous with the very foreign policy many Democrats once opposed.

But perhaps Barker’s harshest critique was aimed at the Democratic Party’s focus on the urban, college-educated elite, leaving behind the majority of Americans without a four-year degree. “Their tone is condescending and paternalistic,” she argued, slamming the party for pushing policies like student loan forgiveness, which disproportionately benefit their affluent base while offering little to those who need real reform.

And she’s not the only one:

Barker’s decision to leave the Democratic Party wasn’t just about the DNC or any single issue. It was the culmination of years of watching a party she once loved drift further away from the values she cherished, and many more are following suit. “The Democratic Party has lost its way entirely,” she concluded, leaving no doubt that her departure is as much a personal loss as it is a political one.

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