Republicans Warn ‘Democratic Socialist’ Candidates Seek Gains In Statewide Races
A growing number of state legislative races could give Democratic Socialists of America-aligned candidates a stronger foothold in state politics—and potentially help some build a path to higher office.
The Republican State Leadership Committee says at least 65 such candidates are competing for state legislative seats in November across 24 states. Its count includes DSA members, candidates endorsed by the organization, and people who identify as members of the movement. That broad definition matters: candidates’ ties to DSA vary, and they do not all share the same views.
In a memo reported by Fox News, the committee argued that winning state races can give movement-backed candidates governing experience, political networks and a base for future congressional campaigns. The immediate question for voters, however, is what these candidates would do with the authority state lawmakers hold over public safety, utilities, housing and state budgets.
Some of the candidates have taken positions that put those issues in sharp relief.
New York state Sen. Jabari Brisport says he will work to end policing and incarceration statewide. His campaign also supports decriminalizing prostitution while retaining protections against trafficking and exploitation, which he argues would improve safety.
Wisconsin state Rep. Ryan Clancy has described police work as having “no dignity or value.” Clancy told Fox that his remarks addressed officers who abuse their authority over sex workers, while his earlier comments criticized policing more broadly. He has also agreed with the committee’s view that DSA-aligned candidates are shaping the Democratic Party’s direction.
In New Mexico, DSA-backed state Rep. Eleanor Chávez has called Immigration and Customs Enforcement fascist and compared its agents to the KKK. State Republicans condemned the language, arguing that it could encourage violence against law enforcement.
The candidates’ economic proposals raise separate questions about government ownership and who would bear the costs. New York Assemblywoman Sarahana Shrestha supports legislation that would allow the state to acquire Central Hudson Gas & Electric, potentially through eminent domain if a negotiated purchase fails. Michigan statehouse candidate Dylan Wegela has also supported state acquisition of utility companies.
Shrestha has defended her proposal by pointing to a feasibility study commissioned by supporters that she said projected lower costs for consumers. She also argues that voters support public investment, affordable housing, transit and universal health care.
Policy disagreements also surface within the broader left. Maryland lawmaker Gabriel Acevero opposed a marijuana legalization measure, arguing it did not go far enough on racial equity because it did not include reparations for communities harmed by drug enforcement. The Fox report also described support for reparations among DSA-affiliated candidates in New York, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
These examples illustrate positions taken by individual candidates; they do not establish that every person included in the RSLC’s count supports the same policies. The number itself depends on how researchers define DSA alignment.
A Brookings Institution analysis identified at least 76 DSA-backed candidates who advanced to general elections, compared with the RSLC’s minimum of 65. Brookings has also emphasized that DSA-backed candidates make up a small fraction of state legislative seats nationwide and that the movement’s reach is uneven. The two counts use different definitions: Brookings counted candidates with a confirmed DSA chapter endorsement or recommendation, while the RSLC included a broader range of affiliations.
Republicans have an electoral interest in tying Democratic candidates to socialism, and the RSLC memo makes that case directly. A Fox News poll from September found that 55% of registered voters viewed the DSA unfavorably. The election will test whether the group’s state-level candidates can turn that organizing into wins—and how much influence they may have inside the Democratic Party.