I sat down with Congressman-elect Zach Dembo, a Navy veteran, former federal prosecutor, and ninth-generation Kentuckian who just pulled off one of the biggest political upsets of the 2026 midterms. Zach won Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, a seat Donald Trump carried by 15 points in 2024.
I endorsed Zach early in his campaign because I recognized something familiar in his story. Like my twin brother Eugene, Zach served as a military JAG officer. He devoted his career to public service, including serving as a federal prosecutor, before resigning in protest of the Trump administration’s politicization of the Justice Department. He didn’t enter politics because of partisan ambition. He entered because he believed his oath and his obligation to defend the Constitution demanded it.
Our conversation explored how he won in a Republican-leaning district and what his victory tells us about the future of the Democratic Party.
Zach made a compelling case that voters are less interested in ideological labels than in whether their elected officials understand their problems and are willing to fight for them. In Central Kentucky, Trump’s tariffs have battered the bourbon, agricultural, and manufacturing industries. Medicaid cuts threaten rural hospitals and the communities that depend on them. Rising diesel prices, compounded by the war in Iran, have further squeezed farmers and working families.
Rather than demonizing Republican voters, Zach focused on the policies hurting them. His campaign attracted independents, Republicans willing to cross party lines, and people who had never volunteered for a political campaign before.
We also discussed the remarkable number of veterans elected to Congress this cycle. Zach and I share the conviction that military service cultivates a particular approach to leadership: mission first, country first, party well down the list. That doesn’t mean abandoning Democratic principles. It means recognizing that governing requires finding common ground, building coalitions, and delivering results.
A major part of our conversation focused on corruption and restoring the rule of law. Drawing on his experience as a prosecutor and Navy officer, Zach argued that the politicization of the Justice Department and military threatens public confidence in institutions that must operate independently of partisan interests.
We agreed that Congress must reclaim its constitutional oversight responsibilities. But Zach went further, making an important point: Democrats cannot credibly demand accountability from Republicans while tolerating corruption within their own ranks. He supports banning congressional stock trading, imposing lifetime restrictions on lobbying, and reducing the influence of big money in politics.
Perhaps the most important takeaway was Zach’s warning against treating the Democratic victories of 2026 as an ideological mandate. Voters rejected corruption, economic hardship, and broken promises. They did not necessarily endorse every element of the Democratic Party’s agenda.
As Zach put it, “What we have right now is an opportunity. It is not a mandate.”
That distinction matters. Winning an election creates an obligation to govern, not an entitlement to power. Democrats will be judged by whether we lower costs, protect health care, confront corruption, and make government work for the people it serves.
Zach is interested in serving on the House Armed Services and Agriculture Committees, where his military background and Kentucky roots could help him deliver for his constituents. Those are also committees on which my brother Eugene serves, and I look forward to seeing them work together.
Zach’s victory is a reminder that Democrats can compete and win in difficult districts when we recruit principled candidates, speak directly to voters’ concerns, and put public service ahead of partisan warfare.
Watch our full conversation to hear how Zach pulled off his upset victory, what he learned on the campaign trail, and how he plans to help restore accountability and effective government in Washington.
