After a summer of victories for Democratic Socialists of America-aligned candidates, the movement faces a new test: whether it can win over Black voters, a constituency central to Democrats’ hopes of regaining control of Congress in November at the U.S. Midterm Elections.
Florida state Representative Angie Nixon, who could become the first Black lawmaker elected to represent Florida in the U.S. Senate, may offer part of an answer. She overcame a more than 16-to-1 fundraising disadvantage to defeat retired Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman in the Democratic primary contest, running up large margins in Black communities while focusing on affordability and other everyday concerns.
The debate underscores a challenge for DSA-backed candidates seeking to build on their primary successes. While Black voters have long criticized Democrats for paying attention to their communities mainly at election time, activists, strategists and community leaders interviewed by Reuters said some democratic socialists and progressive candidates face a different hurdle: persuading voters they are focused on housing, healthcare and rising living costs rather than ideological issues such as Gaza and defunding the police.
DSA officials say their organizing is centered on economic concerns, from housing costs and food prices to stagnant wages.
DSA-aligned candidates have challenged and in some cases defeated more moderate Democratic rivals in a string of high-profile primaries, intensifying an internal party debate over whether progressive energy can translate into broader voter appeal when Democrats face Republicans in November.
Interviews with more than two dozen activists, strategists and community leaders suggest DSA-backed candidates face an uphill battle with some Black voters in November. Some fear alienation from democratic socialists could threaten turnout among one of Democrats’ most reliable constituencies.
“Many times, Black people feel like the Democratic Party doesn’t come until it’s time to vote,” Nixon told Reuters. “That’s why it’s just really important to organize. And I would say DSA has to do the same thing.”
