Rising Influence of Democratic Socialists in the U.S.

A CNN poll has brought to light a notable shift within the Democratic Party. Approximately one-third of Democrats and those leaning towards the party now identify as ‘democratic socialists.’ The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), once considered a fringe group, is gaining significant influence on a national level.

The poll, shared with Fox News Digital, reveals that 34% of Democrat-leaning respondents consider themselves democratic socialists. Overall, 15% of all respondents identify as democratic socialists. Most of these individuals are young White Americans. Specifically, 59% of respondents under 45 and 57% of those who identify as democratic socialists are White, according to CNN.

Concerns grow over socialism’s rise and the DSA’s impact on American politics. The group is celebrating success, with candidates they backed winning pivotal primaries. The Democratic Socialists of America are gaining traction across the political map.

Members of the Democratic Socialists of America gathered outside a Trump-owned building on May Day, May 1, 2019, in New York City. (Getty Images)

The poll conducted in collaboration with SSRS shows that Democrat-identified democratic socialists are often without a college degree and earn less than $100,000 annually. These individuals display strong motivation to vote, with 66% expressing they are ‘extremely motivated,’ compared to 57% of other Democrats.

Recent victories at the ballot box signify growing momentum for democratic socialists. Notably, New York City elected DSA-supported Zohran Mamdani as mayor. Similarly, Seattle elected socialist Democrat Katie Wilson. At the federal level, DSA-backed candidates have won Democratic primaries in several states, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, also DSA-endorsed, is a prominent contender for the Democratic Senate nomination.

The platform of the Democratic Socialists of America is causing concern. Republican National Committee spokesman Mike Marinella voiced these fears. The party’s agenda calls for abolishing ICE, defunding the police, eliminating prisons, granting mass amnesty to immigrants, and more.

Marinella states these are not mainstream ideas. He asserts that voters are witnessing the Democratic Party yielding to radical pressures.

Recently, the DSA introduced an updated policy platform. Proposals include removing the U.S. Senate, restructuring the executive and judicial branches, granting mass immigration amnesty, and defunding the Department of War. Existing proposals advocate for ending deportations, allowing free migration, and extending voting rights to those with criminal convictions and noncitizens.

From left foreground, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate primary candidate Abdul El-Sayed, and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., join hands following a campaign rally Saturday, July 18, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

The platform also proposes a 32-hour work week without pay or benefit reduction. It supports Medicare-for-all, canceling student loan debt, eliminating cash bail, and establishing universal rent control.

Natalie Baldassarre, spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, commented on the findings. She believes that the Democratic embrace of these policies may have negative electoral consequences.

Baldassarre says that while socialism gains ground in the Democratic Party, most Americans reject these ideas. She asserts that overall, Americans resist the Democratic socialist agenda.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the DSA and the Democratic National Committee for their responses. The insights from this poll provide a shifting landscape within American political affiliations and ideologies.