New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani framed the growing socialist movement as one that aims to return the Democratic Party to its roots, amid growing debate about whether such ideas belong in the party.
More centrist Democrats and veteran political strategists have warned that the Democratic Socialists of America platform is untenable to mainstream party values, pointing to its push to overthrow capitalism and pivot toward government or “collective” ownership of key economic drivers such as energy production, public transportation, and healthcare, in contrast to individual or private control over such entities.
As New York’s first socialist mayor, Mamdani pushed back against critics during a pre-taped episode of the SiriusXM show Urban View. He argued that socialist ideals have a long history in the Democratic Party, deflecting colleagues who have urged socialists to split off and start their own party instead of swinging the caucus to the left. He pointed to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration in the 1930s, when Washington created the “New Deal” set of policies that advanced a more collectivist agenda and social welfare programs.
“We’re not running away from the Democratic Party; we’re going back to what the party used to be,” Mamdani said.
“You think about FDR and La Guardia, you think about the New Deal; that’s what the Democratic Party once was,” he said, referencing former New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, who echoed elements of Roosevelt’s framework when he led the city in the 1930s and 40s. “That’s what it could be again. And if we want to win, I think that’s what we have to become.”
The tensions between socialists and more centrist Democrats in the party have grown steadily since Mamdani swept the mayor’s race last November, securing a victory in the country’s largest city that shook the establishment. Since then, multiple socialists or DSA-endorsed candidates have secured primary wins or taken the lead in major races.
In Michigan, Democrats believe Abdul el Sayed holds a good chance of winning a U.S. Senate seat. In Wisconsin, gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong has gained ground in the governor’s race. In New York and elsewhere, socialists have also performed well, startling establishment figures who favor more traditional positions on capitalist economic policies, among other issues.
Earlier this month, the Democratic Party’s centrist wing announced a $15 million campaign through Third Way to blunt socialists’ influence in the party. Lawmakers who signed onto the initiative included Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Adam Gray (D-CA), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), Susie Lee (D-NV), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Laura Gillen (D-NY), Don Davis (D-NC), Janelle Bynum (D-OR), and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX).
Many of those members hail from purple districts filled with split-ticket voters, who backed President Donald Trump in 2024.
Aside from fears about socialists’ impact on U.S. economic tradition, critics worry they mark a sea change in the Democratic Party’s traditional support for Jewish people and Israel. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) are grappling with a rise in sentiment against Israel, with tensions promising to accelerate should voters elect a new crop of candidates in November.
Those include Darializa Avila Chevalier, a socialist who won the primary election for a New York House race in June. She has declined to confirm whether she believes Israel should continue to exist, and interned at a Hamas-linked West Bank school in 2014. Hamas is the terrorist group that has pledged to eliminate Israel, which operates in Gaza, the area adjacent to Israel.
Meanwhile, el Sayed has attracted controversy for repeatedly campaigning during his Michigan Senate race with Twitch political streamer Hasan Piker, due to concerns he holds openly antisemitic views, including comments in April that he “would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time.”
In June, longtime Democratic strategist James Carville urged socialists to split from Democrats and form their own party, warning that “there’s just some s*** that I can’t be in the same tent with.”
JEWISH DEMOCRATS GRAPPLE WITH EL SAYED VICTORY AS REPUBLICANS SEIZE OPENING IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE
“All of these people hate Democrats,” Carville said. “Why do you want to run as a Democrat? Start your own movement. If it’s such a powerful, sweeping movement that’s got momentum everywhere, then go ahead and be at the head of it. Don’t use the Democratic Party to advance it.
“I am totally comfortable in a political party that spends time questioning the policies of the government of Israel,” he added. “In fact, I’m enthusiastic about that. I don’t want to be in a political party that denies the right of the state of Israel to exist. That’s just not — I just can’t do that. I’m sorry. It’s just not doable.”