The Case for the Democratic Socialists of America

For those who have not been following the incredible accomplishment in Michigan, a candidate backed by the Democratic Socialists of America – Abdul El-Sayed – beat his opponent – Haley Stevens – in the Senate primary race. 

What made this particularly impressive was the fact that Stevens was outspending El-Sayed twelve-to-one. Haley Stevens received $26.9m: that is $19m from the AIPAC-affiliated United Democracy Project SuperPAC; $5m from A Stronger Michigan SuperPAC; and $2m from the Unite to Win SuperPAC. This dwarfed Abdul El-Sayed’s own $2.1m: $375,000 from the Fighting for Michigan SuperPAC (though more has been earmarked), and £1.7m from independent voters and supporters. Not only that, but Haley Stevens was further backed by an impressive personal history, having successfully won and maintained a formerly Republican House seat in Michigan since 2018, as well as receiving the endorsements of over 120 Democratic Party officials including Nancy Pelosi and Gretchen Whitmer.

The primary concern among the Stevens camp is to keep the seat blue and maintain the Democratic Party’s pushback against Trump – this is why people such as Chuck Schumer have backed Stevens, since they view her as the party’s best chance against the Republican contender, Mike Rodgers. 

However, this has presented an opportunity for the left. It is no small secret that the Democratic Party is in bed with a lot of the same SuperPACs as the Republican Party. Nor is it a secret that establishment Democrats are weak on insider trading and money within American politics by allowing for the whittling down of legislation that might block it. Either with the STOCK Act’s almost non-existent penalties, or the yet-to-pass Stop Insider Trading Act, which is being used to sneak in voter ID laws. 

The Democratic Establishment has proven itself either ineffective or unwilling to curb the worst excesses of themselves and the Republicans – and we’re supposed to believe them capable if they elect another member from their ranks? Especially since the inherent motivation in a two-party democracy is the fear the other party will fulfil the voters’ desires – and Democratic Party members know and understand that Republicans and Democrats alike will try to enrich themselves. The Democratic Party understands it doesn’t have to win; it just has to beat the Republicans. 

According to a poll by Politico, 72% of American voters are frustrated by big money dominating politics. The Democratic Socialists of America have an easy route to attacking the Democratic Party; ‘they have failed to deliver for the people, now we have to do it for ourselves.’This mythos is what El-Sayed, who isn’t endorsed by the DSA, leaned into. A teacher who saw the defunding and ruination of education in real time, he moved into politics to fix it. During the debate, he likewise framed the election as a ‘voters vs special interests’ referendum.

The Democratic Socialists of America are aiming for answers that voters deserve. They have previously been plagued with McCarthyite fearmongering, but are seeing a surge in popularity as the shock and horror of a socialist in a position of power has worn off among younger generations. Up to a third of current Democrats are in favour of Democratic Socialists holding positions of power, likely spurred by the efficacy demonstrated by Zohran Mamdani, the Mayor of New York. Even among conservatives, only 15% said they’d dislike a candidate who called themselves a democratic socialist.  

The Red Scare is over

The language of socialism is inherently appealing to those who have been harmed by unfettered capitalism – which is what America tends to offer. Now the Democratic Party is being offered a pathway to engage with younger voters, voters who no longer trust in the system, while the biggest attack line is a point of pride among the youth. A pathway to engage through newer language, newer media, and newer needs. But, to embrace this pathway, they would have to abandon and punish the SuperPACs that dominate politics in favour of embracing the voters who are now fighting back. 

There is a fight in the heart of the Democratic Party: the Progressives trying to remake the party into a modern fighting force, aiming to break down the plaque that has formed after 50 years of neoliberal politics. And the Establishment, which is seeking to restore a sense of normalcy and unity in order to fight back against MAGA – something they have proven incapable of doing for a decade now. 

The dominating force in American politics for the last decade has been MAGA (a populist movement that promised to break the system, yet has only enriched the richest). The DSA have given the Democratic Party the chance to re-forge itself in the minds of everyday Americans- to fulfil what Americans seem desperate for: an end to the corporatist system, even become the left-wing alternative to MAGA. There is a reason El-Sayed won while being outspent: he offered these fundamentals. He offers an end to big-money politics, increased wages, and Medicare for all. 

The Democrats have to adopt policies that improve lives quickly, as El-Sayed has offered. Americans are too precarious right now to wait for a solution to eventually appear. They are demanding it. MAGA happened because Americans wanted to break the political and economic system rather than wait for incremental improvement, so Democrats need to offer to fix the system quickly and radically to mobilise voters in their favour. 

Mamdani won because he listened to those needs and responded to them radically. El-Sayed won the primary because he listened to what the voters felt frustrated. The Democratic Party needs to listen to the electorate and make big changes for them to win - not just be the smallest loser.

Image: Wikimedia Commons/Conlan Houston

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