Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said she believes the Democratic Party is in need of “new leadership,” arguing that the party never completely recovered after its losses in the 2024 elections.
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s “Straight Shooter” on Wednesday, the senator told host Stephen A. Smith, “Every day there’s a debate within the party about the path forward.”
“That’s why I believe we need significant new leadership. The old models are no longer working, and that includes the Democratic Party,” she said.
Slotkin explained that new leaders are needed in both the House and the Senate, adding that her party needs to center its focus more on a few key issues.
“Democrats were soundly defeated in 2024. I was in a swing state, and I won that same year. To me, the lesson was simple. Democrats had too many priorities. They tried to make everyone happy and answer every question. When you prioritize everything, no one knows what you actually stand for,” Slotkin said.
“Donald Trump came in with one clear message. He said, ‘I’m going to make your life more affordable. I’m going to put more money in your pocket.’ He won because he kept his message simple and focused on the issue Americans cared most about,” she added.
Earlier this week, Slotkin said in a speech that Democrats need to get back to basics by addressing issues such as the economy and education.
“We just need to show people that what we care about is an economy where if you work hard and play by the rules, you get ahead and your kids do better,” she said at the time.
Slotkin’s call for new leadership comes as Democratic socialists and other progressive candidates posted several victories in New York’s Democratic primaries this week, backed by New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, whose campaign has emphasized affordability and improving conditions for working-class residents.
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin has sought to ease tensions within the party since taking office in February 2025. However, Slotkin suggested a broader change in party leadership would be necessary to produce a meaningful shift.
A group of Democratic senators had sought to replace Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., over how he handled last year’s government shutdown, The Wall Street Journal reported in March.
Democrats in the Senate will elect a party leader after November’s general election through a secret ballot.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/the-inside-of-a-grocery-store-in-quebec-qc.jpg?id=56430718&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=45%2C0%2C45%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Since December 2024, Quebec (and every other province for that matter) has enjoyed a <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tax-holiday-canada-best-gst-free-buys" target="_blank">temporary GST/HST tax break</a> on a ton of items, giving our wallets a much-needed rest.</p><p>And even though Quebec doesn't have harmonized sales tax (HST), shoppers here have still been saving the 5% GST — which can add up fast, especially on bigger purchases.</p><p>But all good things must end. And the tax holiday officially wraps up on February 15, 2025, which means prices (with or without <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/made-in-canada-grocery-items" target="_blank">tariffs</a>) are going back up at grocery stores, restaurants, and shops across the country this weekend.</p><p>Here's a look at what will soon cost you 5% more, according to information on the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/child-and-family-benefits/gst-hst-holiday-tax-break.html" target="_blank">Government of Canada website</a>.</p><h2>Food<br/></h2><ul><li>Prepared foods, including sandwiches, salads, vegetable or cheese platters, and pre-prepared meals</li><li>Snacks, including chips, candy, baked goods, fruit snacks and granola bars</li><li>Energy bars or protein bars, if they meet certain criteria</li><li>A gift basket that contains food and other items if 90% or more of the total value of the basket is for items that would not be subject to GST/HST if supplied separately</li></ul><strong></strong><h2>Drinks</h2><ul><li>Non-alcoholic beverages such as tea, coffee, soda, juice and smoothies</li><li>Eligible alcoholic beverages:<ul><li>Beer and malt liquor, for example, bottled or canned beers and pitchers of beer</li><li>Wine, cider and sake containing 22.9% or less alcohol by volume</li><li>Spirits-based coolers and premixed alcoholic beverages containing 7% or less alcohol by volume</li><li>Energy or protein drinks, if they meet certain criteria</li></ul></li></ul><strong></strong><h2>Restaurants</h2><ul><li>Prepared meals and foods, and all eligible nonalcoholic beverages and alcoholic beverages when provided in restaurants, pubs, bars, food trucks, and other establishments that serve food or beverages</li><li>Delivery service provided directly by the establishment and not through an intermediary distribution platform (eg UberEats, DoorDash, etc.)</li><li>Catering services</li></ul><strong></strong><h2>Children's clothing, shoes and accessories</h2><ul><li>Baby clothing, including bibs, baby nests and small blankets</li><li>Children's clothing in sizes "extra small", "small", "medium," or "large"</li><li>Socks, hats, ties, scarves, belts, suspenders, gloves and mittens for babies and children</li><li>Baby shoes</li><li>Children's shoes with an insole of 24.25 cm or less</li><li>Sportswear and dancewear such as ski sweaters and coats, leotards, swimsuits, bodysuits and swimwear that can be worn for purposes other than athletic or dance activities</li><li>Cotton diapers and disposable diapers</li><li>Diaper inserts and liners</li><li>Potty training pants</li><li>Rubber panties intended for use with any of the above items</li><li>Restraint systems or booster seats that comply with the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations</li></ul><strong></strong><h2>Children's toys (designed for children under 14)</h2><ul><li>Board games with physical components and rules, including replacement pieces and additional components such as dice</li><li>Card games, including playing cards and games featuring collectible cards</li><li>Toys, toy sets and toy systems that:<ul><li>Have the appearance of a person or thing, whether real or imaginary</li><li>Involve the construction, creation or assembly of structures, objects or models using parts, pieces, or modelling materials</li><li>Involves sorting, stacking, or arranging parts, pieces, or materials</li></ul></li><li>Dolls, stuffed toys and their respective accessories</li></ul><strong></strong><h2>Puzzles, video game consoles and controllers</h2><ul><li>Puzzles for all ages, new or used</li><li>Game consoles designed for playing video games</li><li>Controllers designed for playing video games on consoles</li><li>Physical video games on discs or cartridges made for compatible consoles</li></ul><strong></strong><h2>Printed books and newspapers</h2><ul><li>Most published printed books (hardcover or paperback)</li><li>Printed book updates</li><li>Guides and atlases that do not primarily contain street maps or road maps</li><li>Subscriptions to magazines and periodicals (where the printed space devoted to advertising does not exceed 5%), if the full subscription is paid during the tax holiday period and only for magazines and periodicals received during the tax holiday period</li><li>Physical sound recordings of printed books, if 90% or more of the recording is an oral reading of a printed book, including abridged versions (e.g., a cassette, compact disc, or reel-to-reel tape of a published book)</li><li>Physical recordings of a performance of a published play</li><li>Bound or unbound printed versions of the scriptures of any religion, such as the Quran, Bible, prayer books, missals, hymnals, and Torah scrolls</li><li>Illustrated versions of religious scriptures (e.g., versions that are illustrated strips)</li><li>Printed books packaged for sale as a single item with a read-only physical medium consisting of either a reproduction of the printed book or material specifically referencing the printed book</li><li>Printed newspapers containing news, editorials, features or other information of interest to the general public and which are published at regular intervals (usually daily, weekly or monthly)</li></ul><p>With all that in mind, you may want to get your weekly shopping done before Saturday rolls around. </p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em>
<em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em>
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched an awareness initiative aimed at educating Nigerians on their data privacy rights. This effort seeks to ensure…
A political showdown is unfolding in Texas, where state Republican lawmakers are trying to game the system to give their national party an advantage in next year’s midterm elections. They’ve hit a temporary roadblock, for now. But the whole gambit has huge national implications. If you’re just tuning in, a quick summary: In July, President […]
