Arab News | Midterms may be a golden moment for US socialists

Nov. 3 could mark a turning point in American politics and the biggest surprise may come not from Republicans or traditional Democrats but from the socialist left. As Americans head to the polls for the midterm elections to choose members of Congress and state and local officials, the Democratic Socialists of America could be approaching its biggest political breakthrough yet. Riding a wave of primary victories, growing frustration with capitalism and increasing interest among younger voters, the movement could gain enough influence to reshape the Democratic Party and challenge the economic principles that have helped make America prosperous.

The Democratic Socialists of America’s growing influence deserves more attention than it has received. Its electoral successes are not simply victories for politicians promising cheaper housing or better healthcare. They are part of a broader effort to replace capitalism with a system based on social and democratic ownership of the economy.

According to a study published by the Brookings Institution in August, the group’s chapters endorsed or recommended 282 candidates during the election cycle. They included 64 congressional candidates, 15 seeking statewide office, 104 running for state legislatures and 99 competing for local positions. Several lost their primaries but the scale of the effort reveals a movement working to establish influence at every level of government.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani demonstrated the movement’s electoral potential by winning in 2025. His promises of affordable housing, cheaper transport and expanded public services appealed to voters frustrated by the rising cost of living.

The momentum continued in this year’s congressional primaries. Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates secured the party’s nominations in several heavily Democratic districts, where winning the primary can make victory in November highly likely.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani demonstrated the movement’s electoral potential by winning in 2025

Dalia Al-Aqidi

This is where the movement’s strategy matters most. Socialists do not need to persuade most Americans to abandon capitalism. By winning Democratic primaries in carefully selected districts, they can gain congressional seats and influence national policy without commanding broad national support.

The question is why socialism is finding a receptive audience in a country built on private enterprise, individual ambition and economic opportunity. Much of the answer lies with younger Americans and the growing influence of far-left ideas on college and university campuses. For years, progressive activists and student organizations have challenged capitalism, portrayed economic inequality as evidence of a fundamentally unjust system and promoted socialism as an alternative. In some academic circles, criticism of capitalism has overshadowed discussion of the opportunities it has created and opposing views risk being dismissed rather than debated.

This message resonates with a generation struggling with expensive housing, student debt and uncertain economic prospects. Promises of free college tuition, universal healthcare and greater economic equality are an easy political sell to young Americans watching billionaires grow wealthier. At the same time, ordinary families struggle to make ends meet.

The Democratic Socialists of America has turned this frustration into a political weapon, offering an appealing vision of economic justice while avoiding difficult questions about its enormous price tag. Taxing billionaires makes for a powerful campaign slogan but the wealthy are not an unlimited source of revenue. Financing such sweeping promises would require higher taxes, increased government borrowing or painful cuts elsewhere.

Yet the movement offers young Americans the comforting illusion that the government can solve their problems simply by taking more from the rich. Far less attention goes to the potential cost of expanding government control over the economy: weaker incentives to invest, fewer opportunities for businesses to grow and greater dependence on the state. The danger is that a generation searching for economic freedom and prosperity may embrace policies that ultimately undermine both.

This resonates with a generation struggling with expensive housing, student debt and uncertain economic prospects

Dalia Al-Aqidi

For people who fled socialist and other authoritarian regimes, promises of equality were often followed by restrictions on freedom, shortages, censorship and political persecution. They continue to warn about the dangers of concentrating too much power in institutions that claim to act on behalf of the people. However, America’s youth ignore these personal experiences and warnings.

There is nothing wrong with demanding that corporations obey the law, that wealthy Americans pay their taxes or that economic opportunity be more widely available. But portraying wealth primarily as a product of exploitation risks turning legitimate concerns about inequality into hostility toward economic success. These generations need reminders that private enterprise, investment, competition and innovation have contributed enormously to American prosperity.

The Democratic Socialists of America’s agenda extends far beyond economic policy. Its calls to defund the police, abolish federal immigration enforcement agencies and eliminate immigration detention and deportation policies raise serious concerns about public safety, border security and the rule of law. Weakening law enforcement without credible alternatives could leave communities more vulnerable, while removing immigration controls without a workable replacement could undermine the government’s ability to manage its borders and enforce its laws.

The group’s foreign policy raises equally troubling questions. The movement has repeatedly opposed American sanctions and pressure against authoritarian regimes, often portraying Washington as the aggressor while giving insufficient attention to the repression these regimes inflict on their own people. Its opposition to American intervention is clear but its approach raises a serious question: Why does a movement that claims to champion freedom and justice seem more concerned with shielding hostile governments from American pressure than with holding them accountable for denying their own citizens basic freedoms?

As November approaches, young voters are showing growing political enthusiasm, while the Democratic Socialists of America’s grassroots activists are organized, energized and determined to turn that enthusiasm into votes. Through campus networks, door-to-door campaigning and social media, the movement is mobilizing a generation frustrated with the political establishment and eager for change. Whether this energy will significantly increase youth turnout remains uncertain but the socialists are preparing to capitalize on it.

November could deliver meaningful victories for the Democratic Socialists of America, giving it more elected officials and greater influence within the Democratic Party. But the greater threat may be to the Democratic Party itself, as Americans have known it for generations. Once a broad political coalition that embraced capitalism while advocating social reform, the party could find itself increasingly pressured by a socialist wing determined to replace the economic system rather than improve it. Established Democrats may face a difficult choice: resist the movement and risk losing elections or embrace its agenda to protect their political careers.

That may become the Democratic Socialists of America’s greatest achievement: transforming one of America’s two major political parties without ever winning the support of most Americans.

This could be its golden moment but it could also mark the start of a political identity crisis for the Democratic Party. Its greatest threat may come not from the Republicans across the aisle but from the socialists within its own ranks.