Of 282 Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates who have run this cycle, 123 (43.6%) won their primaries, according to a report from the Brookings Institution.
The document, released on Wednesday, examined primary and general elections across the United States through Aug. 12 that involved candidates whom a local, state or national DSA chapter endorsed or recommended. The report noted that some chapters give a recommendation, meaning “general support without full alignment,” and acknowledged that chapters have different endorsement criteria.
The study did not include candidates who align themselves with democratic socialism but haven’t yet been backed by a DSA chapter.
There were 99 DSA-backed candidates in local races, 33 of whom won, 34 lost and 31 were listed as “no primary,” meaning that they didn’t appear on the primary ballot. One race remains outstanding.
Of 104 DSA-backed candidates in state legislative races, 66 won, 24 lost, 10 were in the “no primary” category and four remain outstanding.
There were 64 DSA-backed candidates in congressional races, 19 of whom won, 42 lost, one was in the “no primary” category and two races remain outstanding. Among 15 statewide races, five won and 10 lost.
The majority of these candidates were in areas with “a history of Democratic strength,” with 90 in California and 21 in New York, according to the report.
“As a state or district becomes more competitive, fewer DSA-endorsed candidates run, and fewer win,” the report stated.
It noted that only 10 DSA-backed candidates won in congressional districts that the Cook Partisan Voting Index reported as having a Democratic lean of less than 10 points.
Overall, “the scarcity of candidates and their lack of strong success rates overall make this look more like a skirmish than a war” in terms of the DSA’s standing in the Democratic Party, according to the report.
However, the “high-profile” DSA wins serve as a “warning to the rest of the party,” the report stated.
“They signal that unhappiness with the Democratic establishment and, in the post-Biden world, opposition to elderly officeholders can be leveraged by young, charismatic DSA candidates and reflect an impatience with party leadership that transcends ideology,” it added.
