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House Democrats offered starkly different views Wednesday after a rise of socialism proved victorious in the Democratic Party as three far-left candidates swept key races in New York’s primary elections.
The new wave of socialist candidates, who were endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, beat moderate Democrats in Tuesday night’s race has sparked mixed reactions among lawmakers about whether these new ideals will be at the center of the entire Democratic Party.
“It’s kind of written off as a fluke or an outlier, but every time more moderate Democrats win, people say it’s a plan to keep Democrats winning,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said when asked what the streak of progressive victories means for the Democratic Party.
He continued: “So people should pay attention.”
RISING SOCIALIST STARS ON THE ROAD TO CONGRESS: WHO ARE DARIALIZA AVILA CHEVALIER, BRAD LANDER AND CLAIRE VALDEZ?
Representative Ayanna Pressley listens during a press conference near the US Capitol building in Washington, DC, on September 25, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Other Democrats quickly distanced themselves from the far-left movement, or at least from the socialist identity.
“I’m a capitalist, not a socialist,” Rep. Thomas Suozzi, D-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. “And I believe in security, not anarchy. And I am proud of America. I am not ashamed of America.“.
Representative Gregory Meeks, Democrat of New York, sounded a similar note.
“Now, I believe in capitalism, so I’m not a socialist,” Meeks said. “So I don’t know if that’s a problem or not.”
The debate comes as socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani dominated the primary by endorsing three candidates (Darializa Avila Chevalier, Brad Lander and Claire Valdez) who won their key elections by promoting the same socialist agenda that Mamdani has in their campaigns.
EXTREME LEFT RISE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OVERTOW DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBERS
Congressional candidate Claire Valdez, Congressional candidate Brad Lander, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier raise their hands during a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally at the King’s Theater on June 18, 2026 in New York City. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joined Mayor Zohran Mamdani ahead of next week’s primary and the start of early voting on Saturday, as the pair campaigned for Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, who are challenging incumbents in the Democratic primary. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Some Democrats attribute the trend of the far-left progressive vote to being popular only in a place like New York.
“I think what happens in New York City is pretty much what happens in New York City,” said Rep. Joseph Morelle, D-N.Y. “I don’t think it’s necessarily an indication of anything outside of New York City. “His politics are somewhat unique.”
Progressive Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., agreed with Pressley that the election results in New York indicate a broader movement within her party.
“Fabulous energy, momentum, giant reputation of special interests, including the impact of others,” Jayapal said when asked how he felt about the election results.
He continued: “And real energy for us to continue developing young people and making sure that everyone votes and commits to a government that truly works for workers.”
The split shows a broader ongoing debate within the Democratic Party about whether far-left ideology will take on the role of model for the party and whether these progressive campaigns can be a legitimate roadmap to the party’s national success.
NY DEM SAYS HE ‘DISAGREE’ WITH MAMDANI, MAKES COMPARISON TO TRUMP
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rep. Thomas Suozzi, D-N.Y., emerged on opposite sides of the debate over whether New York’s progressive primary victories should shape the future of the Democratic Party. (Mel Musto/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Suozzi used economic concerns as an example of the need to find a middle ground between the extremes of both parties, asking people to focus on solutions to improve the lives of Americans rather than working to dismantle entire systems.
“They’re saying ‘the whole system sucks, let’s tear it down,'” Suozzi said. “I don’t think that’s the right answer. I think that we, those of us who don’t agree with DSA and those of us who don’t agree with MAGA, have to do a better job of saying, ‘Yes, you have reasons to be economically insecure.’ We understand it.'”
“We have to do a better job of understanding, saying we understand what people are going through and proposing solutions that will improve their lives,” he said.
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Pressley argued that Democrats should build on the momentum they believe the New York results represent, saying voters want leaders willing to aggressively pursue their agenda.
“What the American people want to see now and in the future is that we know how to be the fighters in the room and that when we have the power, we are not afraid to use it,” Pressley said.