Dozens of candidates associated with the Democratic Socialists of America are running for state legislative seats across the country this November, prompting Republican strategists to warn that the organization is attempting to build political influence from the state and local level upward.
At least 65 DSA-aligned candidates have advanced to general-election contests for state legislative seats, according to an analysis released by the Republican State Leadership Committee.
The RSLC, the Republican organization focused on winning state legislative and other state-level races, argues that the campaigns represent a broader effort by democratic socialists to increase their influence within Democratic politics.
“Democrats are turning state legislatures into the ground floor of their socialist takeover,” RSLC President Edith Jorge-Tuñón said in a memo obtained by Fox News Digital. The organization pointed to races in several states, including New York, Pennsylvania and Maine, where candidates endorsed by or associated with DSA chapters are competing in November.
The DSA describes itself as the country’s largest socialist organization and says it has more than 80,000 members nationwide. It is not itself a traditional political party, and candidates associated with the organization frequently compete in Democratic primaries and appear on ballots as Democrats.
Republicans have focused particular attention on New York following the political rise of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a DSA member whose successful mayoral campaign brought renewed national attention to the organization.
According to the RSLC’s analysis, at least 13 DSA-backed candidates are running for seats in the New York Legislature this year. Several defeated incumbent Democratic lawmakers during primary contests. One of the most closely watched is democratic socialist Claire Valdez, who is running for the state Senate after defeating incumbent Democratic Sen. Kristen Gonzalez in the primary.
Valdez has emphasized housing affordability, labor protections, healthcare and the cost of living during her campaign. Other DSA-supported candidates have similarly focused on rent protections, expanded public services and policies designed to strengthen organized labor.
Republicans argue that victories by those candidates could move Democratic legislative caucuses further to the left. Democratic socialist candidates and their supporters, however, have framed their campaigns primarily around economic concerns and dissatisfaction with establishment politics.
The organization’s involvement in state legislative races is not new. DSA chapters have spent years supporting candidates for city councils, state legislatures and other offices while developing volunteer networks capable of canvassing neighborhoods and mobilizing voters. The organization says its elected members currently serve in offices around the country.
Republican officials argue that state legislatures can serve as training grounds for politicians who later seek congressional, gubernatorial or other statewide offices. “State legislatures aren’t a side project for the socialist left — they’re the pipeline,” Jorge-Tuñón said.
