The Democratic Party’s struggle over whether to embrace democratic socialism has become one of its defining internal battles, veteran political journalist Ron Brownstein tells NPR’s Michel Martin.
Brownstein, CNN’s senior political analyst, said the party was facing an unusually sharp contest between its progressive left and more centrist forces as Democrats prepare for the 2026 midterm elections.
The dispute centres on whether candidates should openly adopt the democratic socialist label and policies associated with it, or distance themselves from the movement in an effort to appeal to moderate and independent voters.
Brownstein has described the current primary season as the most systematic conflict between the Democratic left and centre in modern times. Recent contests have given progressives renewed confidence, including Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan’s Senate primary and the growing influence of candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
At least eight DSA members or DSA-backed candidates have secured Democratic congressional nominations this year, according to the Associated Press. The figure includes seven House candidates and Florida Senate nominee Angie Nixon, although no DSA-affiliated candidate won a gubernatorial nomination.
Democratic socialism becomes an electoral test
The argument is no longer confined to safe Democratic strongholds. El-Sayed’s nomination in Michigan has created a test of whether a progressive candidate can compete in a politically divided state, while similar disputes have emerged in other battlegrounds.
Brownstein has argued that the November contests could provide practical evidence in a debate that has shaped the party since Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2016: whether Democrats are more likely to win with moderate candidates or by mobilising a more left-wing electorate.
The Democratic Socialists of America supports policies including universal healthcare, expanded public services and higher taxes on the wealthy. But its broader platform also contains positions that remain controversial within the Democratic mainstream, including calls to abolish the US Senate and eventually eliminate the police and prison systems.
That range of views has created tension even among candidates associated with the movement. Some have embraced the label, while others have sought to define their own platforms separately from the DSA.
Republicans have seized on the division, portraying the Democratic Party as having been taken over by socialists and communists. The Associated Press reported that Republican candidates were increasingly using the issue in campaign messaging, despite polling showing that voters were more focused on the economy and the cost of living.
A CNN/SSRS poll conducted in July found that around seven in ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters would feel enthusiastic or comfortable about their party nominating a democratic socialist. However, the Democratic Socialists of America itself remained unfamiliar to many Americans, with only about two in ten adults expressing a favourable view.
For Democrats, the debate presents a choice between ideological mobilisation and electoral caution. Brownstein’s assessment is that neither side has defeated the other, but the left is entering the autumn campaign with significant momentum.
