Dems wake up to ‘woke’ message turning off voters

Some Democrats are increasingly questioning whether liberal rhetoric on hot-button issues such as policing and education could alienate centrist voters they’ll need to win over in the midterm elections.

The concerns are playing out against the backdrop of rising crime levels in cities across the country and a growing movement of parents fighting the introduction of racialized curriculum to public schools.

Polls have shown that Democratic voters are listing crime as a top issue — even over the pandemic, which has, for months, dominated the concerns of voters on the...