These moderates offer Democratic primary voters a real ideological choice about whether they want to remain the party of Bill Clinton, or whether they want to follow the likes of Senator Bernie Sanders, who called on voters to “come together in an unprecedented grassroots movement, to not only defeat Trump but to transform our economy and our government.”

Take healthcare reform, for instance, where the moderates provided compelling and non-partisan critiques of the single-payer proposals that would outlaw employer-based insurance. “The road that Senator Sanders and Senator Warren want to take us, which is with bad policies like Medicare for all,” explained Rep. John Delaney, “will turn off independent voters.” Indeed, according to a Hill-HarrisX poll, just over 10 percent of Americans support healthcare reform that would eliminate private insurance options.