Socialism rising as core feature, rather than bug, in Democratic Party

A new national poll released Monday suggests that democratic socialism is moving from the fringes of the Democratic Party to its core.

Commissioned by the Democratic Socialists of America Fund and Jacobin magazine, and supported by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (Socialists), the survey of 1,257 likely voters (margin of error ±3 percentage points) was conducted by Data for Progress in late August.

• Preference with definitions: When respondents were read definitions of “democratic socialism” (government taking a more active role to improve Americans’ lives) and “capitalism” (private owners control trade and industry to generate profit), 52% of Democratic voters said they preferred democratic socialism vs. 38% who preferred capitalism.
• Favorability of leaders: Democrats rated political leaders who identify as democratic socialists about as favorably as those who identify simply as Democrats, with both groups having a net favorability of +25.
• Broader appeal: The poll found that even among 2024 Donald Trump voters, a nontrivial share — around 15% — preferred democratic socialism over capitalism. These respondents tended to be younger and non-white.
• Support for egalitarian policies: Beyond abstract ideological preferences, support for policies associated with socialism (such as universal healthcare, worker protections) crossed party lines in many cases.

Some interpret the findings as evidence that “democratic socialism” has become less of a label for activist sub-groups and more of a framework acceptable to a broad swath of the Democratic base. As Jacobin editor Bhaskar Sunkara put it, the poll suggests democratic socialism “now communicates something very practical to American voters.”

The rise in support may help explain recent electoral successes in traditionally “blue” districts, especially in local and primary races where socialist-leaning candidates have won. For example, observers point to the June 2025 mayoral primary in New York City, in which Zohran Mamdani, identifying with democratic socialist politics, emerged victorious.

Challenges remain. While the ideology is gaining favor among Democrats, its appeal is less strong in swing districts and among independents or Republicans. Electability in more competitive settings may still be an obstacle.

The poll is commissioned by explicitly leftist organizations (DSA Fund, Jacobin, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung), which raises questions about framing or sampling bias.