Life of the Party: How Democrats Lost America's Trust — and How They Can Win It Back Hardcover – May 20, 2026

Life of the Party is an insider's reckoning with how a once-dominant political movement lost its way-and how it can win again. Told with candor, humor, and hard-earned experience, Joe Cunningham takes readers inside the recent failings of the Democratic Party in the years leading up to the 2022 presidential election. This is not theory from a think tank or pundit classposturing. It's the view from the ground, told by a lifelong Southern Democrat who defied the odds and won an unwinnable, heavily gerrymandered district in South Carolina. Never one to follow the party line blindly, Cunningham was the first Democrat in the country to publicly warn against President Joe Biden seeking reelection. In Life of the Party, he explains why-while breaking down the deeper systemic problems holding Democrats back: flawed messaging, disconnected messengers, and a growing inability to communicate with regular voters. He takes on the culture wars that have distracted the party from its core mission and argues that affordability, dignity, and everyday economic pressures are where elections are truly won. Blending sharp political analysis with vivid, often funny stories from the campaign trail and the halls of Congress, Cunningham brings policy to life in a way few political books ever do. Clear, accessible, and relentlessly engaging, Life of the Party is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of the Democratic Party-and American politics itself. Read more