A year after the Democrats found themselves out of power and without a leader, the party is standing at a crossroads.

After months of downbeat introspection, three election races this week gave them a much-needed burst of momentum.

In New York, there was the unlikely victory of a 34-year-old democratic socialist as mayor of the nation's biggest city, while it was a former CIA agent who won in Virginia to become the state's first female governor.

And in New Jersey, a former Navy helicopter pilot who made opposing Donald Trump a focal point of her campaign delivered a decisive victory over a Republican candidate backed by the president.

These three candidates - New York state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, Virginia's law-and-order moderate Abigail Spanberger, and New Jersey congresswoman Mikie Sherrill - each ran a different race.

Their victories have spurred a debate on how Democrats chart a path forward, and whether the centrists or the party's left wing will prevail as they head into the critical 2026 midterm elections - and beyond.

But without a standard-bearer until the presidential race in 2028, Democrats are grappling with how to land on a clear message, rebuild their brand, and retool their strategy to win back voters.

Some believe that will happen through refining their focus on the affordability crisis, while others insist it requires pushing back harder against Trump.

This was a repudiation of President Trump and the Republicans, not an affirmation of us, former US ambassador to Japan and Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel told the BBC.

The Democrats have been adrift. The party not only lost the White House last year but also both chambers of Congress, every battleground state, and even support among key demographics, including working class, racial minorities, and young voters.

Many Democrats welcome the idea of ushering in fresh candidates but view that as only part of the solution to regaining voters' trust.

The question of whether to adopt a more left-leaning or centrist approach weighs heavily on the party as it prepares for its future.