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Former Obama White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel warned Thursday that “Bernie bros” and democratic socialist candidates could hurt the Democratic Party in November’s midterm elections by forcing moderates in competitive districts to answer for unpopular progressive positions.
Emanuel wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion column that Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates could divert attention from the issue he believes Democrats should make central in the campaign.
“In the name of ‘authenticity,’ the DSA and others are saddling the Democratic Party with nominees whose wildly unpopular positions will protect Republicans from having to pay the price of Donald Trump’s corruption and economic incompetence,” Emanuel said.
He compared the current political environment with 2006, when he led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) as the party gained 31 House seats. He said Democrats succeeded by recruiting candidates who eased voters’ concerns that the party was culturally out of touch and weak on national defense.
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Rahm Emanuel warned that “Bernie bros” and DSA candidates could hurt Democrats in competitive midterm races. (Getty Images)
The former Chicago mayor said efforts to elect socialists in safely Democratic districts have now created problems for candidates elsewhere.
“When the DSA attempts to turn safe Democratic states and districts a darker shade of blue, Democratic candidates in swing districts are put at a distinct disadvantage,” Emanuel said.
Emanuel pointed to DSA member Darializa Avila Chevalier’s victory over Rep. Adriano Espaillat in New York’s 13th Congressional District. The Mamdani-backed candidate narrowly defeated the five-term incumbent and Congressional Hispanic Caucus chairman in June’s Democratic primary. Emanuel said Republicans could use the positions promoted by socialist candidates in heavily Democratic districts against moderates nationwide.
“What happens in the 13th District doesn’t stay in the 13th District,” Emanuel said.
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Emanuel argued that socialist candidates are saddling moderate Democrats with unpopular policy positions. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images ; Digital ; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Emanuel also blamed socialists for promoting positions that he said contributed to Democrats’ recent electoral losses.
“It was socialists who led the charge to defund the police, open the borders, abolish prisons, release violent criminals onto the streets and degrade the flag,” he said.
Emanuel cited Nebraska Democratic congressional nominee Denise Powell, whom the state Republican Party has labeled as “DSA Denise.” Powell is running against Republican Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding for an open seat in Nebraska’s competitive 2nd Congressional District.
He argued that Powell should be able to focus on Harding’s record instead of spending campaign resources separating herself from the socialist movement.
“Candidates in competitive districts have to spend time and effort differentiating themselves from the DSA’s agenda when they should be focusing voters on Mr. Trump’s corruption,” Emanuel said.
He identified Powell as a “bright star perfectly positioned to flip” Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District but said Republicans were unfairly labeling her.
Digital reached out to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Powell for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
On Tuesday, Emanuel got into a heated clash with The New Yorker’s David Remnick over why the potential 2028 Democratic candidate wasn’t emphasizing left-wing culture war topics like transgender issues.
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Pete Buttigieg said moderate Democrats should focus on promoting their own agenda when asked about Emanuel’s warning. ( – Paul Steinhauser)
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Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was asked Friday on CNN’s “The Situation Room” whether he agreed with Emanuel’s argument. Buttigieg said moderate Democrats should focus on presenting their own agenda.
“Yeah, I think those of us who are more moderate in the party should concentrate our efforts on talking about what we’re for,” he said. “Just like the Democratic Party as a whole has to be about more than just being against Republicans.”
Buttigieg did not address Emanuel’s individual policy criticisms, instead promoting affordable healthcare, tax fairness and campaign finance reform.
“This is the kind of agenda that I think can be unifying, and I’m much more interested in that than any kind of factional project inside or outside the Democratic Party,” Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg campaigned with Powell in Omaha earlier this month, WOWT reported. The DCCC has also placed Powell in its Red to Blue program, which supports Democratic candidates in competitive Republican-held districts.
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A poll released Wednesday found Buttigieg in a close second to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New Hampshire as a potential 2028 contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.
