DSA rides primary wins to record size as Democratic establishment pushes back
After stronger-than-expected primary wins and a membership surge past 120,000, the Democratic Socialists of America faces a centrist counterattack and fresh scrutiny of its positions and tactics.
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a US socialist political organization that reported more than 120,000 members as of July 2026, making it the largest socialist organization in American history. Its members are active in electoral politics and labor organizing, and DSA-backed candidates recorded stronger-than-expected results.
Candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America won stronger-than-expected results in the 2026 primaries, according to the Washington Post, and the organization reported more than 120,000 members as of July — a figure its Wikipedia entry describes as making it the largest socialist organization in US history. DSA leaders say they now aim to broaden the group's reach. The DSA is a socialist political organization whose members work in electoral politics and labor organizing, and it has long operated at the edge of the Democratic Party. That edge is moving inward. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is associated with the group, according to an opinion column critical of it, and its Chicago chapter is campaigning to elect socialists to the city council. The growth has triggered open resistance. The centrist group Third Way launched a $15 million campaign against the DSA after socialist victories in Michigan's primary, calling the organization a "mortal danger." Commentary has compared the moment to MAGA's takeover of the Republican Party — a reckoning the Democratic establishment can no longer avoid.
Primary wins push the DSA into the Democratic mainstream
The Democratic Socialists of America entered the 2026 midterm cycle with momentum. DSA-backed candidates recorded stronger-than-expected results in the primaries, according to the Washington Post, and the organization's leaders have since said they aim to broaden its reach.
The electoral gains have coincided with a surge in size. The DSA reported more than 120,000 members as of July 2026, a figure its Wikipedia entry describes as making it the largest socialist organization in US history. Founded as a socialist political organization in the United States, the group has long operated on two tracks: its members are active in electoral politics, running and endorsing candidates, and in labor organizing, where they have built ties with unions and workplace campaigns.
The primary results suggest that strategy is paying off, giving the organization a larger footprint inside Democratic politics than at any point in its history.
Policy positions and a difficult interview draw fire
A Wall Street Journal opinion piece reported that DSA policy discussions include abolishing the Senate and eliminating the presidency, ideas that go well beyond the mainstream Democratic agenda.
The organization's national co-chair, Megan Romer, drew criticism after an interview in which, according to reports, she was unable to name a specific tax rate or threshold when pressed on her support for taxing millionaires. The Republican National Committee seized on the exchange, arguing that socialists are pulling the Democratic Party in an extreme direction, according to those reports.
Romer has defended the organization's growing influence, reportedly stating that DSA members constitute the base of the Democratic Party. That claim, like the policy discussions described in the Journal, has sharpened the debate over how far the party should accommodate its socialist wing.
Centrist Democrats spend $15 million to fight back
The centrist Democratic group Third Way has launched a $15 million campaign opposing the Democratic Socialists of America, according to reports, following socialist victories in Michigan's primary. In announcing the effort, Third Way characterized the DSA as a "mortal danger" to the party — language that underscores how sharply the establishment has reacted to the organization's recent gains.
The spending reflects a broader anxiety among centrists about the direction of the party. Commentary in recent weeks has compared the DSA's growing role within the Democratic Party to MAGA's takeover of the Republican Party, suggesting the Democratic establishment now faces a major political reckoning of its own. That framing, advanced by critics of the group, casts the fight over the DSA not as a policy dispute but as a struggle for control of the party itself.
Tensions flare over policing, internal dissent and city hall ties
The organization's rise has sharpened friction on several fronts. Asked about DSA positions, Senator Bernie Sanders said no serious candidate for office supports defunding the police, according to reports of the exchange. Representative Ilhan Omar publicly responded to Sanders' remarks about defunding the police and other DSA-backed proposals, reports said.
Former DSA organizer Jake Altman has described the organization shifting over the past 10 to 15 years from a pragmatic social-democratic orientation toward a more ideological one, including internal debates over Leninism. Altman also alleged the DSA uses pressure tactics against internal dissenters; the organization's response to that claim is not known.
In New York, a town hall hosted by Mayor Zohran Mamdani — associated with the DSA, according to an opinion column critical of the group — included a table run by the city's DSA chapter. Critics called the arrangement a deeply concerning line for a government-run event. In Chicago, the local chapter is campaigning to elect socialists to the city council, targeting sitting aldermen and promoting higher taxes on wealthy residents.
Former organizer Jake Altman says the DSA began shifting from a pragmatic social-democratic orientation toward a more ideological one over the prior 10 to 15 years, including debates over Leninism.
DSA-backed candidates recorded stronger-than-expected results in the 2026 primaries, according to the Washington Post.
DSA leaders said they aim to broaden the organization's reach following the primary wins.
The centrist group Third Way launched a $15 million campaign opposing the DSA, calling it a mortal danger, following socialist victories in Michigan's primary.
The DSA reported more than 120,000 members, described in its Wikipedia entry as the largest socialist organization in US history.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)?
The Democratic Socialists of America is a socialist political organization in the United States. Its members are active in electoral politics and labor organizing. As of July 2026, the DSA reported more than 120,000 members, which its Wikipedia entry describes as making it the largest socialist organization in US history.
How did DSA candidates do in the 2026 primaries?
According to the Washington Post, DSA-backed candidates recorded stronger-than-expected results in the 2026 primaries. Following those wins, DSA leaders said they aim to broaden the organization's reach. The specific vote margins and races behind those results have not been detailed.
What policies does the DSA support, like abolishing the Senate?
A Wall Street Journal opinion piece reported that DSA policy discussions include abolishing the Senate and eliminating the presidency. It is not clear which of these positions the organization has formally adopted versus merely discussed. Separately, DSA co-chair Megan Romer was reportedly unable to name a specific tax rate or threshold for taxing millionaires when pressed in an interview.
Why are some Democrats campaigning against the DSA?
The centrist Democratic group Third Way launched a $15 million campaign opposing the DSA following socialist victories in Michigan's primary, reportedly characterizing the group as a mortal danger. Commentary has compared the DSA's role within the Democratic Party to MAGA's takeover of the Republican Party, suggesting the party establishment faces a major political reckoning.
What is the controversy over Zohran Mamdani and the DSA?
According to an opinion column critical of the group, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is associated with the DSA. A town hall he hosted reportedly included a table run by the city's DSA chapter, which critics said crossed a deeply concerning line and raised ethics concerns. What ethics rules applied to the arrangement has not been determined.
Compiled from reporting by 7 independent outlets. How we source our reporting.
