The Democratic Party has changed dramatically from the party of Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.
Today, it is increasingly becoming the party of big government socialism, with candidates and elected officials embracing ideas that would have once been considered far outside the American mainstream.
In the second episode of my five-part How to Win 2026 series, I make the case for why Republicans must define this transformation clearly, factually, and in the Democrats’ own words.
This is not about slogans or name-calling. It is about examining what Democratic candidates are saying, what Democratic members of Congress are voting for, and what the increasingly powerful socialist wing of the party actually believes.
The evidence tells us something important about where the Democratic Party is going.
In Their Own Words
Across the country, Democratic candidates are increasingly embracing positions that would have been unimaginable for a major political party not long ago.
Candidates and elected officials have called for abolishing ICE and defunding the police. Democratic Socialists of America leaders have advocated eliminating the United States Senate. Others have expressed hostility toward Israel, rejected fundamental biological differences between men and women, or denigrated America and its history.
These are not simply anonymous activists on social media. Many are elected officials, congressional candidates, Democratic nominees, and leaders of organizations that are gaining influence inside the Democratic coalition.
I want to be precise about the argument. I am not saying every Democrat believes every one of these things. I am saying that a political party which increasingly nominates candidates who openly advocate these positions has a coalition problem it is not fixing. In fact, it is electing these people.
Big Government Socialism vs. Free Enterprise
The divide is especially clear when it comes to the economy.
Our America’s New Majority Project found in October 2025 that voters preferred free-market capitalism to big government socialism by 45 percent to 10 percent.
Yet within the Democratic Party, the numbers look remarkably different. A CBS News/YouGov poll found 58 percent of Democrats viewed socialism positively, while only 32 percent viewed capitalism positively. Half viewed capitalism negatively.
That difference matters.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has argued that capitalism means “profit at any cost.” Democratic candidates have described government programs as socialism and defended socialism as consistent with fundamental American values. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has explicitly attacked capitalism while advancing a $70 million plan for government-run grocery stores.
This is a fundamental disagreement about the system that creates prosperity, innovation, jobs, and opportunity in America. And Republicans should have the confidence to make that contrast.
The Votes Tell the Story
Of course, critics can always argue that individual quotes have been cherry-picked.
Votes are different.
A roll call is math, and math does not care who is loud.
Consider the SAVE Act, which required proof of citizenship to register to vote. It passed the House 220-208 with only four Democratic votes.
Our America’s New Majority Project found 71 percent of Americans consider proof of citizenship for voter registration common sense. Separately, 79 percent said allowing illegal immigrants to vote in state and local elections is simply crazy. Pew found 83 percent of adults, including 67 percent of Democrats, support voter photo identification.
The same pattern appears across issue after issue.
On sanctuary cities, immigration enforcement, protecting American farmland from foreign adversaries, protecting women’s sports, taxes, and American energy, Democratic members of Congress have repeatedly voted against policies that have broad support among the American people.
Seven bills. Seven different issues.
When the same pattern emerges again and again, it stops being a collection of isolated disagreements.
It tells us something about the political coalition itself.
The Cost of Big Government
Another part of the big-government socialist model Republicans must confront is the assumption that government should continually control and spend more of your money, despite repeatedly demonstrating that it cannot adequately manage the money it already has.
In fiscal year 2025, federal agencies reported $186 billion in improper payments. Since the federal government began tracking improper payments in 2003, the cumulative total is roughly $3 trillion.
The Government Accountability Office separately estimates fraud alone costs the federal government between $233 billion and $521 billion every year.
The problem is not simply how much government spends.
It is a governing philosophy that continually demands more money, more bureaucracy, and more control while tolerating enormous waste and fraud.
Americans deserve better.
Make the Case With the Receipts
Republicans have an enormous opportunity to draw a clear contrast in 2026.
On one side is a Democratic Party increasingly influenced by big government socialism and positions far outside the American mainstream.
On the other is an opportunity to build a broad American majority around common sense, free enterprise, safety, prosperity, patriotism, and accountable government.
But Republicans should not simply tell Americans that Democrats have changed. We should show them. Use their words. Show their votes. Give people the dates, numbers, and facts, and let them decide.
That is the first building block of How to Win 2026.
Listen to Episode 2 of How to Win 2026:
The Republican Opportunity
How to Win 2026 is part of a larger effort to identify the ideas, policies, and arguments that can create a lasting American majority.
Explore our latest columns, research, commentary, and analysis on the Republican Opportunity in 2026.
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