Posted For: Rotorblade
Many observers are expressing deep concern over the election of self-described democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as New York City’s mayor. Their worry is not only about one mayoral race; they see his victory as part of a broader and increasingly visible trend. To understand why the reaction is so intense, it helps to look at the history and evolution of democratic socialism in the United States.
Roots of Democratic Socialism in America
Although Franklin D. Roosevelt never called himself a socialist, many of the major policies introduced during his administration were long championed by the Socialist Party. Programs such as Social Security, unemployment insurance, the Works Progress Administration, and the expansion of organized-labor protections had once been considered fringe ideas. The Great Depression, however, moved these concepts from the margins to the center of American governance. Today, many of these initiatives are permanent fixtures of federal operations—so ingrained that they’re commonly referred to as “entitlements.”
Emergence of the DSA
By the early 1980s, the modern Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) was taking shape. Michael Harrington, a prominent activist and writer, helped form the organization in 1982 after meeting with leading global socialists at a Socialist International conference. Early on, Harrington emphasized support for Israel as a legitimate expression of Jewish self-determination, and the DSA’s founding framework reflected that position.
Over time, however, the organization’s stance shifted dramatically. The turning point became unmistakable after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The DSA condemned civilian deaths but described Hamas’s assault as “not unprovoked,” blaming Israel’s “apartheid regime.” The following year, young members of the organization took prominent roles in pro-Palestinian campus demonstrations. At several protests, Jewish students reported harassment, including being told to “go back to Poland” and encountering imagery equating Zionism with Nazism. The chant “From the River to the Sea,” widely understood as calling for Israel’s elimination, was heard at various DSA gatherings.
At its 2025 national convention, the group went so far as to declare that expressing support for Israel’s right to self-defense—or equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism—could be grounds for expulsion.
Influence on Protests and Politics
The DSA acknowledged backing numerous campus encampments in 2024. In an April statement, the organization encouraged members nationwide to appear “in numbers” wherever protests arose and to push for university divestment from what it called “the Zionist occupation.” The message also urged the U.S. government to halt all aid to Israel.
Despite this increasingly radical posture, the DSA and its allies have made measurable political gains. A report from the Heartland Institute found that nearly every candidate endorsed by prominent socialist organizations won their race in 2024. Of 51 endorsed candidates nationwide, 48 were victorious—a 94 percent success rate. Even excluding uncontested races, these candidates won by an average margin of 37 percent. The endorsed group included contenders for the U.S. House, Senate, statewide offices, and local positions across 22 states and the District of Columbia, with California leading in total numbers.
One striking internal moment came when the DSA revoked its endorsement of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after she hosted a panel condemning antisemitism. The organization accused her of “conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism” and labeled her participation a “deep betrayal.”
A Growing Political Force
The movement’s momentum raises a number of questions. As more voters become accustomed to expanding government programs, dependency on publicly funded benefits continues to grow. Meanwhile, explicitly socialist candidates—many aligned with positions critics describe as Marxist—are increasingly competitive and, in many cases, successful.
With figures like Mayor Mamdani now securing major elected roles, voters must decide how comfortable they are with candidates who openly identify as democratic socialists, and what it means when segments of that movement promote rhetoric that many view as antisemitic. Even if such candidates don’t win every race, the influence of the ideology itself is expanding—and so, critics argue, is the potential for long-term political and social consequences.