Pelosi Opposes ‘Democratic Socialists’ Challenging Dem Incumbents

Retiring former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is warning that Democratic socialist challengers targeting incumbent members could undermine her party’s attempt to retake the House in November.

Speaking at the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival, Pelosi said Democrats cannot afford to spend money and political energy defeating their own lawmakers during a crucial midterm election.

“Well, let us again define our terms. I was not for candidates coming in and running against our incumbents because we needed to win the House. In other words, weighing the equities,” she said, noting that the goal is to win back power.

“No – I wasn’t happy about people saying, ‘Let’s spend a whole lot of money challenging Democrats,'” she said.

“You want to do that? Do that, but don’t think that that’s something that is good for this year,” she added.

“Do it a year when we have the luxury of having the majority, but not when we’re trying to–you can’t gain by losing.”

Pelosi continued, “Can’t lose your members. The idea is that there will be those who will be out there to just take down the incumbents when this is our year to honor the Constitution of the United States.

“I’m not for that. You run any time you want. Do whatever you want to do,” she went on.

“But don’t expect that to be welcome when we’ve got to stay completely focused on saving the Constitution,” Pelosi said.

Her comments reflect growing concern among establishment Democrats as socialist candidates defeat longtime incumbents in heavily Democratic districts.

DSA-backed candidates Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez won congressional primaries in New York, while Melat Kiros defeated longtime Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette. Those victories could expand the socialist bloc in Congress after the November elections.

Pelosi’s warning appears focused more on political strategy than a complete rejection of the progressive movement. During the same discussion, she praised Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez while arguing that Democrats should prioritize defeating Republicans instead of weakening their own incumbents.

But the balance of power inside the party may be shifting away from Pelosi’s establishment wing.

Approximately one-third of Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults now identify as democratic socialists, according to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS. The survey found that socialist-aligned voters remain highly loyal to Democratic candidates while also demanding younger leaders and major changes to the party.

The poll found that 59% of Democratic socialists are younger than 45, compared with 46% of other Democratic-aligned voters. They are also more likely to earn less than $100,000 annually and to describe themselves as extremely motivated to vote in the midterms.

Democratic socialists were nearly twice as likely as other Democrats to support moving the party further left on policy. They were also substantially more enthusiastic about candidates seeking to reduce American support for Israel.

That movement is now reaching beyond New York and other deep-blue areas.

Democratic socialist Francesca Hong is leading a crowded Democratic gubernatorial primary in Wisconsin, although a large portion of primary voters remains undecided. Her rise will test whether socialist candidates can succeed in a competitive battleground state rather than only in overwhelmingly Democratic districts.

Pelosi’s message is therefore a warning to her party: Socialist activists may be energized, but defeating incumbent Democrats could weaken the very majority they hope to influence.

The former speaker is preparing to leave Congress in January 2027 after nearly four decades in Washington. Her retirement comes as younger progressive candidates increasingly challenge the leadership, strategy and ideology that defined the Democratic Party during much of her career.

Pelosi wants Democrats united long enough to regain power. The party’s growing socialist wing appears increasingly determined to reshape it first.