Democratic Socialists of America is beginning a nationwide effort to determine whether it will back a candidate in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, following a series of high-profile primary victories by candidates aligned with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The group plans to survey members across its 250 chapters this summer and collect recommendations by Sept. 15, ahead of broader internal discussions and a formal vote expected at its 2027 convention. DSA leaders say the goal is to ensure the organization has an early role in shaping the next presidential contest after recent wins that they see as evidence of growing influence inside the Democratic Party.
The push comes after Mamdani-backed candidates won three closely watched New York congressional primaries on Tuesday. Brad Lander defeated Representative Dan Goldman, Claire Valdez won an open seat over Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and Darializa Avila Chevalier narrowly unseated Representative Adriano Espaillat, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The victories added to other recent gains for democratic socialist candidates, including contests in Washington, D.C., Seattle and Pennsylvania, and have strengthened Mamdani's standing as a leading figure on the party's left. Mamdani has said the race for 2028 effectively begins now, though he is constitutionally ineligible for the presidency because he was not born in the United States.
DSA leaders have said no potential presidential contender will receive automatic backing, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose name looms over early 2028 speculation. National co-chair Megan Romer said any candidate would need to make their case to the group's roughly 110,000 members. The relationship between DSA and Ocasio-Cortez has previously shown strains, including a dispute in 2024 over conditions tied to her endorsement. Supporters of the broader movement argue the latest results show democratic socialism can become a more powerful force nationally. Bhaskar Sunkara called the New York outcome historic, while progressive commentator Hasan Piker said the wins could help move the Democratic Party further left.
Critics inside and around the Democratic Party argue the New York results may not translate well beyond heavily Democratic urban strongholds. Moderate Democrats have long contended that democratic socialist candidates can be a liability in swing districts and red-leaning states where the party must broaden its appeal to win House majorities or the presidency. Matt Bennett of Third Way said Republicans could use the views of some left-wing nominees against other Democrats in competitive races, pointing in particular to past statements by Avila Chevalier on policing, border controls and Israel. Former Representative Steve Israel also warned that the strength of democratic socialists in places such as New York and California could be mistaken for the party's national center of gravity, even though presidential elections are decided in battleground states.
The rise of Mamdani and allied candidates follows a longer arc in Democratic politics that began with Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign and has been shaped by more recent tensions over strategy, ideology and foreign policy. Some analysts and former officials say the movement has also drawn energy from opposition to Donald Trump's agenda and from anger among progressive voters over the Biden administration's support for Israel's war in Gaza after Oct. 7. Progressive strategists argue the fault line inside the party is increasingly about whether Democrats are willing to challenge wealthy interests and the political status quo. As DSA weighs its next move, the debate is likely to test whether its recent momentum can be converted into broader national influence by 2028.