Nearly 250 years after the inception of our beautiful country, built on freedom and limited government, so-called “Democratic Socialist of America (DSA)” politicians are sweeping American primary elections. Their sudden rise in popularity and victory over longstanding Democratic leaders are causing quite the divide within the party, and voters are seeing it play out in real time.
U.S. Rep. Dian DeGette (D-Colorado-1st), a nearly 30-year Democratic incumbent, met her fate after Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros won the Democratic primary in Colorado’s First Congressional District. That district, which includes Denver, is dependably blue, which means Kiros’ will likely be heading to Congress very soon. And there, she may find several other aligned DSA colleagues. After her victory, she exclaimed, “We are winning from coast to coast.”
“Capitalism is a system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit” reads the DSA website, with goals such as universal rent control, “free” childcare, universal healthcare with no co-pays or premiums, 32-hour work weeks, the Green New Deal, and, predictably, taxing the rich.
Sprinkled in are social-political ideals, such as abortion and transgender prioritization, to secure the feminist (and adjacent) support, much like the rise of communism in Russia.
In 1917, Lenin and the Bolshevik leaders promised “free abortion,” robust divorce rights, legalized homosexuality, free childcare, and more, to gain critical support from the feminists and social liberals. After they secured power, and war started to loom, the Soviet Union turned its back on these promises that contributed to their indefensible weakness. This included a full repeal of abortion access and flooding the nation with propaganda posters of “The New Soviet Woman” showing women primarily as mothers, surrounded by nearly a dozen children. The social-liberal goals helped them gain power, but it was a temporary tool that later proved detrimental to national strength.
These same promises are attracting voters today, and it is taking the 2026 midterm election by storm. Kiros’ victory is just one of many. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist mayor of New York City, endorsed three New York candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives who all advanced as the Democratic nominee. Missouri’s 1st Congressional District is home to a battle between Democratic House Incumbent Rep. Wesley Bell and DSA member and former Rep. Cori Bush (D). House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York-8th) and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Massachusetts-5th) have endorsed Bell, while Bernie Sanders put his weight behind Bush.
For the U.S. Senate, Graham Platner won the Maine Democratic Primary. Platner champions the Green New Deal and is endorsed by Bernie Sanders. His anti-billionaire platform focuses messaging on “fighting oligarchy.” The Democrats have a heated primary battle still happening in Michigan between Abdul El-Sayed, who is also endorsed by Bernie Sanders and DSA Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (“AOC”) (D-New York-14th), and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Michigan-11th), who is endorsed by more traditional Democrat politicians, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The Washington Examiner notes that Democratic Socialists of America’s endorsements have scored 35 primary victories already this election cycle. They are on track to more than double their membership in Congress this year.
A Democratic strategist told MS NOW, following the DSA defeat of longstanding Democrat representatives, “some of these positions are so extreme that they will be rejected when we head to a national climate, which is what 2028 will be.”
With the next presidential race looming around the corner, the Democratic Party appears more divided than ever. While their party hasn’t necessarily shied away from radical policies in the past, one sect of the divide is clearly ready to embrace full socialism.
