The DSA is Coming for Congress
The recent surge in endorsements by the Democratic Socialists of America for various electoral races — congressional, state, and local — is cause for concern.
This year, the Democratic Socialists of America has endorsed 29 candidates for the House of Representatives. Of these, 11 have been defeated in their primaries, seven have won, and 11 are still awaiting their primaries.
The importance of these endorsements lies in the positions held by some of these candidates. Here are a few examples of the candidates and their viewpoints:
Melat Kiros, a former attorney, defeated 30-year incumbent Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District. Endorsed by both the DSA, Denver DSA, and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Kiros triumphed in her June primary with 53.2% of the vote, compared to DeGette’s 39.8%.
Kiros’s campaign website advocates for ending all wars, stating, “At $30 billion, our tax dollars have funded what nearly every human rights organization in the world, including the United Nations, has called a genocide in Palestine.” She also campaigns to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, criticizing its officers as “masked agents kidnapping innocent people” and a “terror apparatus.”
Donavan McKinney is running in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District with a primary today. He is endorsed by Metro Detroit DSA, Sen. Sanders, and U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar. His campaign focuses on ending military aid and arms to Israel, calling for Israel to “immediately end the genocide and release all Palestinians who have been detained,” and supports a Green New Deal to shift to 100% renewable energy.
Pennsylvania State Rep. Chris Rabb won his Democratic primary in May for the 3rd Congressional District with 44.2% of the vote. he defeated opponents with 29.5% and 24.1%. Rabb is endorsed by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the DSA. His campaign platform includes creating federally operated grocery stores, abolishing ICE, impeaching President Donald J. Trump, advocating for Palestinian self-determination, ending the Cuba embargo, and overhauling the U.S. Supreme Court (which would of course require amending the U.S. Constitution).
Hartzell Gray is a candidate for Missouri’s 4th Congressional District, with a primary today. Supported by Kansas City’s DSA branch and Congressman Ro Khanna, Gray advocates for Medicare for All, dismantling the “military-industrial complex,” ending endless wars, stopping all funding to Israel, raising the federal minimum wage to $25/hour, abolishing ICE, and repealing the Patriot Act.
In state politics, Francesca Hong is running to be governor of Wisconsin, with a primary on Aug. 11. She currently leads in recent polls by 38%, with Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes at 16%. Endorsed by various DSA chapters and Wisconsin Electoral Socialists, Hong supports abolishing ICE, allowing noncitizens to obtain state IDs without a Social Security Number, and proposing a 1% tax increase on high-income earners.
Taken together, these endorsements illustrate a broader effort by the DSA to move the Democratic Party further to the left and cement it as the party of big government socialism.
As more openly socialist candidates continue to win Democratic primaries, voters should be concerned about their growing influence on the Democratic Party and American politics. Meanwhile, traditional Democrats are just beginning to realize the poison they invited into their party.
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