Democratic fundraiser turns Trump supporter, cites party’s neglect of heartland voters

Evan Barker, a longtime Democratic fundraiser who helped raise money for progressive insurgents, has published “Nothing Left,” a memoir that chronicles her break with the party. In the book she describes a 2022 gathering at billionaire Tom Steyer’s San Francisco residence, where executive director Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez declared that the party would not try to win back former Democratic voters in the heartland. Barker interprets that stance as evidence that the party had abandoned its traditional working-class base.

She also links the shift to a focus on demographic changes in states like Texas, arguing that the party’s strategy now relies on young voters of color rather than appealing to white working-class voters. Disillusioned by these priorities, Barker voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election. The memoir offers an insider’s perspective on internal debates over fundraising, voter outreach, and the party’s cultural direction.