CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA (AP) — Across the country, progressives are lighting a fire that they hope will catapult Democrats back to power in Congress this year. But here in a hotel ballroom, the party’s beleaguered moderates have another message — not so fast.

Leaders at Third Way’s conference talked over and over about how Democrats can’t swing too far left in the midterms, or when picking their next presidential nominee, if they have any hope of winning back the White House.

The title of the two-day, invite-only conference: “Winning the Middle.” And there was plenty of advice on how to do that.

Be plainspoken, not lofty or academic. Don’t live online, but be authentic on social media. Loosen up, and be patriotic without fear that something like the American flag or Pledge of Allegiance has been co-opted by conservatives.

Matt Bennett, co-founder of Third Way, said the organization of moderate Democrats plans to meet repeatedly as the next presidential campaign approaches, convening people who will be influencing and working for Democratic candidates.

“We’re doing it early, and we’re doing it much, much more aggressively than we did last time,” Bennett said. “We’ve got a team in place that is talking every day to the 2028ers.”

Jim Messina, who managed Barack Obama’s reelection campaign in 2012, said Democrats still need to find their footing with voters.

“In 2026, we’re going to win, because we have one great nominee, and his name is Donald Trump,” he said, meaning Trump’s unpopularity sets the stage for Democratic wins in his view. “But we’re going to lose the presidential election in 2028 if we can’t find an economic message that identifies with most people.”

Asked to give Democrats the “brutal truth,” Messina said, “We have no economic message, and if we don’t get one, we’re not going to win.”

The location of the conference was no accident. South Carolina has been pivotal in Democratic presidential primaries, including boosting Joe Biden to victory in 2020. Although a new calendar from the Democratic National Committee won’t be ready for several months, Bennett said Democrats expect the state to remain influential.

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