September 17, 2025 - 5:00pm
Is the Left ascendant in the Democratic Party? Fresh off of New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s Zohran Mamdani endorsement this week, a new poll has found that over half of likely Democratic voters prefer socialist-aligned figures to establishment politicians.
The pollster, Data for Progress, claims its data shows that “more than half of likely Democratic voters” prefer the likes of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani to Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi. It also says that these voters prefer candidates who identify as “democratic socialists” rather than Democrats, as well as democratic socialism over capitalism.
Notably, the poll was funded by the Democratic Socialists of America Fund, so it’s worth treating these findings with some skepticism. But the success of candidates like Mamdani — a figure with direct ties to the DSA — is a sign that a substantial share of the party’s voters find this branding and messaging attractive.
In the months since Trump was sworn in for a second time, a large fraction of the Democratic base appears to have moved decidedly Leftward. Much of this shift seems to be driven by negative polarization around the President’s actions. For instance, a March Economist/YouGov poll found that 57% believed ICE should be expanded or kept at the same level, compared to 38% who believed it should be reduced in size (27%) or abolished (11%). Following Trump’s immigration crackdown over the summer, the same poll showed that the share supporting a reduction or elimination has spiked to 70%.
However, there are more fundamental shifts taking place in the party as well. Gallup’s tracking data found that as of 2025, a record 55% of Democrats now self-identify as liberal while the share calling themselves moderate (34%) or conservative (9%) has moved steadily and consistently downward. Moreover, self-identified Democrats are also beginning to sour on core American values and institutions including both capitalism and patriotism. These shifts have been in motion since at least the Great Recession, and are especially pronounced among the younger generations — a sign that many have lost faith in the American dream and may be increasingly open to new means of achieving it.
In the absence of an effective moderate faction presenting a compelling vision for the party and country, frustrated Democrats may find themselves more open to getting behind Left-wing candidates — perhaps even avowed socialists. And that could lead to winnable races slipping through their fingers in next year’s midterms and beyond. In Michigan, for example, Democrats are defending a Senate seat they must retain to have any shot at winning back the upper house. But that could be a tall order if they nominate Abdul el-Sayed, a progressive who has the backing of Bernie Sanders. A May poll showed him running in second place in the Democratic primary election, but faring worse than the two other Democratic contenders in every general election match-up.
With the midterms looming, the Leftward swing is unlikely to help the party’s brand in key states such as Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio, where the fight for Senate control will likely be decided. It remains to be seen whether this push from the Left has teeth or is just a paper tiger. Signs from states like New Jersey and Virginia indicate that primary voters still back fairly mainstream candidates. But it only takes a couple to bring down the Democrats’ chance of winning back power next year — and beyond.
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