Evan Barker, a 35-year-old political operative raised in a working-class Midwest family, has publicly recounted her growing disillusionment with the Democratic Party in her new memoir, Nothing Left. Before her split with the party in 2024, Barker says she raised $50 million for Democratic candidates, particularly those on the progressive fringe.

Barker, who suffers from serious congenital medical conditions, credits Barack Obama and the Affordable Care Act with activating her political engagement. She also organized the first event where Bernie Sanders met Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. However, she walked out of the 2024 Democratic National Convention feeling politically homeless.

In her memoir, Barker explains that she became exhausted by the classism and identity politics she perceived among party elites, leading her to vote for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. She discusses the relentless, bipartisan demand for fundraising at all political levels and the party’s disconnect from working-class voters.

Barker spoke with Nick Gillespie about these issues and explored questions such as whether Bernie Sanders folded to the Democratic establishment, the generational aspects of current political battles, and whether populism versus libertarianism will define future political conflicts.

Sources