Last week, a pair of democratic socialists won competitive primary matchups in New York. Another in Philadelphia in May, and on Tuesday in Denver, it happened again.
JUANA VERANOS, PRESENTER:
The Democratic Socialists have been on a roll lately. Last week, a pair of Democratic Socialists won competitive primary matchups in New York, another won in Philadelphia in May, and on Tuesday, in Denver, it happened again.
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MELAT KIROS: We won tonight, but it’s about something much bigger than this moment, than a moment. This is a movement.
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SUMMERS: That’s Melat Kiros, 29, who overthrew a Democrat in power for 30 years. NPR political reporter Elena Moore has been following all of this and is now with us. Hello.
ELENA MOORE, BYLINE: Hello.
SUMMERS: So, Elena, explain it to us. What differentiates a democratic socialist from a progressive democrat?
MOORE: Yes. Well, first of all, the Democratic Party is a registered political party and the Democratic Socialists of America are not. It’s a membership organization, and that’s why you see DSA-backed candidates running as Democrats. Second, many Democrats run on affordability issues and criticize billionaires, but DSA-backed candidates are taking it a step further, Juana. They are more likely to adopt an explicitly anti-capitalist message and, more than that, an anti-establishment political message. They also do not shy away from more polarizing issues: pushing for ICE to be abolished and for the United States to stop sending military aid to Israel.
VERANOS: Okay. Let’s talk about what happened last night in Denver. How did this ideological difference manifest itself?
MOORE: Yes. Well, Kiros challenged Diana DeGette, who, to be clear, is far from a moderate and has a long progressive record. But like many candidates this cycle, Kiros framed his prayer around the need for a new kind of politics. He rejected donations from corporate PACs and pro-Israel lobbying groups and criticized DeGette for accepting those same types of donations in the past.
SUMMERS: So, Elena, what is it about this moment that makes this message really resonate with Democratic voters?
MOORE: Well, we know that economic concerns are paramount to voters and that many are dissatisfied with their current political options. And some of the politicians who have been speaking most effectively on those issues are Democratic socialists, from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. DSA leaders maintain that all of these factors are what make this movement so popular right now.
SUMMERS: To what extent, however, are there political drawbacks for Democrats to adopt the DSA?
MOORE: Yes. Well, some Democrats say it gives Republicans more reason to paint the party as extremist and they fear it could discourage voters in some key general election showdowns that will determine control of Congress. Matt Bennett is co-founder of the centrist think tank Third Way.
MATT BENNETT: Of course it is possible to posit oneself as a left-leaning population without adopting the maximalism of the extremes. But now it is very difficult for Democrats to distinguish themselves.
MOORE: Because, he says, Republicans are going to put those two things together. And indeed, Juana, we have seen and we are seeing that happen.
SUMMERS: Correct. And if the GOP is already doing it, what is the political calculus for Democrats going forward?
MOORE: Yes. It’s complicated because the DSA candidates have obviously tapped into a powerful sentiment among voters, but these high-profile victories are concentrated in super-blue cities, and that democratic socialist message simply may not resonate everywhere. In some races, we’ve seen Democrats try to toe the line. I’m thinking of places like Michigan, Maine, Texas, where candidates are campaigning on affordability issues without the DSA label. So it might depend on which approach resonates the most. You know, Republicans have a successful track record of portraying Democrats as too extreme, but some voters may be so frustrated with the current state of politics that they’re willing to look past that.
VERANOS: Elena Moore, NPR political reporter, thank you.
MOORE: Thank you.
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