Washington, August 13 (QNA) – US House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said recent victories by progressive candidates in congressional and statewide Democratic primaries demonstrate that the party is undergoing a period of “generational change.”

Speaking in an interview at a conference in Atlanta, Jeffries said generational renewal would remain a defining feature of the Democratic Party, with that energy making its way into the House through multiple channels, including progressive lawmakers.

Jeffries also noted that centrist candidates had scored victories, stressing that the full picture of the Democratic caucus would not become clear until the November midterm elections.

The Democratic Party is facing an ongoing debate between its progressive wing, which argues that it can broaden the party’s appeal among young voters and working-class Americans, and its centrist wing, which maintains that moderate candidates are better positioned to win back Republican-held seats in competitive districts.

Progressives suffered a notable setback Tuesday in Wisconsin, where Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly won the Democratic primary for governor over state Rep. Francesca Hong, a self-described democratic socialist who had been favored in several pre-election polls.

Crowley will face Republican US Rep. Tom Tiffany in the November general election. Tiffany is a strong supporter of President Donald Trump.

The Wisconsin result came amid a series of progressive victories in other states, including Michigan and Minnesota, as well as earlier primary wins in New York and Colorado.

These results have highlighted the growing influence of the progressive wing within the Democratic Party while also underscoring the continuing debate over the party’s electoral strategy ahead of the November midterms.

For Jeffries, who leads House Democrats, the challenge is to maintain party unity while accommodating competing ideological currents and a new generation of Democratic candidates and lawmakers. (QNA)