Three democratic socialist candidates won New York City Democratic primaries for Congress, and the party's establishment is having a public meltdown. The backlash has exposed deep fractures within Democratic leadership over whether to embrace or expel the left wing gaining traction in primaries nationwide.
Within hours of the results, Jaime Harrison, a former Democratic National Committee chair, posted on X: "If you hate the Democratic Party, then please don't run for our nomination." He ordered socialists not to use party resources, volunteers, or infrastructure. The message was unmistakable, even if unnamed. What Harrison didn't mention was his own career: between 2008 and 2016, he worked as a lobbyist for the Podesta Group, representing Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway, Boeing, BP, General Motors, Google, Lockheed Martin, Merck, Oracle, United Technologies, Walmart, and Wells Fargo, along with coal and mining trade associations.
James Carville joined the effort to purge the left. He declared that socialist primary winner Darializa Avila Chevalier "is not a Democrat" and House Democrats "should not seat her in the caucus." Carville's recent track record suggests he should pause before making predictions: in October 2024, he assured readers that Kamala Harris would definitely win the presidency. Months later, he pivoted to urging Democrats to "roll over and play dead" and let Republicans "crumble beneath their own weight."
The schism within Democratic ranks is real, but responses vary sharply. Ken Martin, the current DNC chair, congratulated primary winners regardless of their ideological bent. When socialist Claire Valdez won a Democratic race for an open seat, Martin praised her union organizing background and advocacy for workers' rights and renters.
The fault lines run deeper than personality clashes. Two major factors are driving the insurgency: a dramatic shift in Democratic voter attitudes toward Israel and Gaza, and widespread grassroots support for progressive economic policies. A May New York Times poll found Democratic voters now four times more likely to sympathize with Palestinians than with Israel. A 2023 Gallup survey showed 66% of Democrats view socialism more favorably than capitalism, yet establishment figures like New Jersey representative Josh Gottheimer insist "if you're a socialist, you're not a Democrat."
Pro-Israel positions remain central to establishment Democratic identity. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Chuck Schumer have each received more than $1.7 million in campaign contributions from pro-Israel groups. Gottheimer, meanwhile, has pulled in over $2 million from pro-Israel donors through 2024, more than any other current House or Senate member. As socialists mobilize against these incumbents, their positions on Israel-Palestine have become a rallying point.
The scale of the socialist gains is still modest but growing. Three new New York congressional candidates, plus sitting "Squad" members and recent victories in mayoral races in New York and Seattle, signal a cohort potentially larger than anything the left has assembled in decades. Yet divisions within the establishment remain. Some moderates, like Representative Seth Moulton, are calling for party unity rather than open warfare.
If Democrats win back a House majority in the midterms, a growing progressive bloc could complicate Speaker negotiations and legislative strategy. Jeffries, himself a target for possible primary challenges, once challenged the left to "get in the ring" and fight on the ground. He may regret issuing that invitation.
Author James Rodriguez: "The real question isn't whether socialists belong in the Democratic Party, it's whether corporate Democrats can hold it together while the base increasingly disagrees with them on Israel, capitalism, and what the party actually stands for."
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