Far-left candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) appear poised to notch victories in Tuesday’s midterm election, which would allow the radical flank of the Democratic Party to shore up its foothold in Congress and take control of major American cities from coast to coast.
DSA-endorsed or self-described socialist candidates are on the ballot in eight congressional districts where they’re either all-but-assured or within striking distance of winning on Nov. 3.
Victories in these House races would more than double the number of socialist or socialist-leaning Democratic lawmakers that make up the “Squad” group of House lawmakers.
DSA darlings are also heavily favored in three mayoral races, and have a fighting chance in two major Senate races.
Here’s a preview of what the midterm DSA takeover might look like:
House races
- Mai Vang is a Sacramento councilmember running against incumbent Democrat Doris Matsui in California’s 7th Congressional District. Far-left streamer Hasan Piker notably joined Vang on the stump last week in support of her campaign to unseat the 10-term Democratic congresswoman.
- Angela Gonzales-Torres is endorsed by both the Los Angeles DSA and DSA National in her race to represent California’s 34th congressional district. She’s running against embattled incumbent Jimmy Gomez after she advanced in the Golden State’s jungle-style primary.
- Melat Kiros is a Gen Z socialist who knocked off a 15-term Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado’s solidly blue 1st Congressional District.
- William Lawrence is running against Republican incumbent Tom Barrett in a Michigan swing district that went for President Trump over former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 by 1 percentage point and Biden over Trump in 2020 by the same margin. Lawrence, the co-founder of radical Sunrise Movement, was a card-carrying DSA member up until July.
- Donovan McKinney ousted two-term Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District Democratic primary. He is endorsed by DSA National and is heavily favored to defeat GOP longshot T.P. Nykoriak.
- Claire Valdez easily won the primary in June for New York’s 7th Congressional District and the general election is considered a formality in the solidly blue district that includes parts of Brooklyn. She has vowed to champion nationwide rent control if elected to Congress.
- Darializa Avila Chevalier is similarly considered a shoo-in to win New York’s 10th Congressional District, which represents Harlem. The 32-year-old radical attended an anti-Israel rally the day after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on the Jewish State.
- Chris Rabb is a self-described Democratic socialist who trounced his establishment-backed rivals in Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary. With no Republican opponent on the ballot, Rabb’s seat in Congress is essentially guaranteed.
Senate races
- Abdul El-Sayed, running against Republican Mike Rogers in the high-profile Michigan Senate race, insists he’s a capitalist, but the DSA’s Detroit chapter once referred to him as a “comrade” and he supports several DSA positions, including a single-payer “Medicare for all” healthcare system and expanding the Supreme Court.
- Angie Nixon, a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is running against incumbent Sen. Ashley Moody in Florida’s special Senate election. Nixon advanced to November after a stunning win over establishment Democrat Alex Vindman in the primary. She’ll have to pull off another upset Tuesday to make it to the Senate as the incumbent leads the race by about 6 percentage points, according to a RealClearPolitics average of October polls.
Mayoral races
- Nithya Raman, a Los Angeles city councilmember, will face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the showdown for control of LA’s City Hall. Raman’s candidacy has been bolstered by the DSA’s Los Angeles chapter, which has supplied volunteers, grassroots organizing and resources to her campaign.
- Janeese Lewis George, a Washington, DC, councilmember, is a virtual lock to replace outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser in the nation’s capital – which is one of the bluest cities in the country. Lewis George is a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America and reportedly sought New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement ahead of her primary race, which she won with 54% of the vote.
- David Morales, a 27-year-old Rhode Island state lawmaker and DSA member, made history when he became the first candidate in the history of Providence – the state’s most populous city – to defeat an incumbent mayor in the primary. His campaign centered on supporting Providence’s sanctuary city laws and housing issues, including pushing for rent control laws.
