Ellison believes there’s still a lot of work to be done, however, to engage the Democratic grassroots, and rebuild trust in the party and the DNC. During the interview, Ellison said that the DNC should put a formal policy in place to ensure that no candidate or campaign ever has an inside track or unfair control over the party.

A transcript of our conversation, lightly edited for clarity and length, follows.

Clare Foran: What do you think are the takeaways from the elections in Virginia and New Jersey where Democrats won both of the governors’ races?

Keith Ellison: When it comes to Virginia, I think it’s a foreshadowing of good things to come.

The American people are patriotic and love their country. When you see a president trashing it, green-lighting white supremacy and Nazis, which he did do after Charlottesville, they step up and the Democratic Party has to be ready to step up and train, resource, and provide a fair election process for them.

Foran: Were you surprised at how many Democratic gains there were in the Virginia House of Delegates? Political analysts did not think that was going to happen.

Ellison: When I was campaigning with [Virginia governor-elect Ralph] Northam and [Virginia lieutenant governor-elect Justin] Fairfax, we were always talking about the down-ballot races, always talking about taking the House [of Delegates] back. A lot of people might have thought it was just exuberance and a sense of optimism, but I believed we could take it back.

Foran: Do you think Democrats can take back the House of Representatives in 2018?

Ellison: We’re going to take the House and we’re going to take the Senate.

Foran: Really? It would be pretty hard to take back the Senate given the number of seats Democrats have to defend.

Ellison: It will be hard. But look at Nevada, [Republican Senator] Dean Heller [who is facing reelection in 2018] doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going. He doesn’t know whether he wants to protect health care or oppose health care.

Foran: Do you think the party is melding its progressive and establishment wings? Or do you think any Democrat who runs at this point has to adopt a progressive agenda because that’s where the party is headed?

Ellison: There is more income and wealth inequality in this country than since the Great Depression. What some folks would label or call progressive is just responding to the economic realities of literally millions of Americans. Sixty-three percent of Americans don’t know what they’d do if they had an unexpected $500 bill. So is it progressive to say they should be able to handle that bill? I don’t know, call it whatever you want, I call it responsive government.

Foran: Well, regardless of labels, do you think more Democrats are getting the message that they need to address those kinds of concerns?