Democrats and democratic socialists should unite for election victories

Opinion>Opinions - Campaign The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill Democrats and democratic socialists should unite for election victories Comments: by A. Scott Bolden, opinion contributor - 07/11/26 2:00 PM ET Comments: Link copied by A. Scott Bolden, opinion contributor - 07/11/26 2:00 PM ET Comments: Link copied

Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander arrives with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for an election night watch party Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Democrats seeking majority control of the House and Senate in midterm elections should avoid fighting with each other and unify around winners of primaries across the ideological spectrum — whether they label themselves centrists, liberals, progressives or democratic socialists.

To block President Trump’s destructive policies and make life in our country more affordable, Democrats need to win a majority in at least one congressional chamber in November. A growing civil war dividing Democrats makes general election victories less likely.

Democrats in different factions have spent months battling each other in primaries. But most voters aren’t focused on the labels candidates attach to themselves. Millions of voters are focused on finding candidates who will aggressively oppose Trump, solve the affordability crisis and keep America out of wars.

Three candidates who identify as democratic socialists recently won primaries for House seats representing parts of New York City, defeating Democratic Reps. Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat. In addition, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) lost her primary to a democratic socialist.

Democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George recently won the Democratic primary for mayor in Washington, which is tantamount to an election victory in the overwhelmingly Democratic city. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, both democratic socialists, were elected in 2025.

Democratic socialists have proven adept at political messaging. They have made appealing campaign promises, delivered passionate speeches and clever soundbites, and skillfully utilized ads and social media. Other Democrats should learn from them.

However, the politics of campaigning are very different from the task of governing. As the late New York Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo said: “You campaign in poetry, you govern in prose.”

In office, democratic socialists will have to figure out how to pay for their costly proposals and deal with other challenges. The best way to do this will be to work with mainstream Democrats.

Trump is falsely portraying democratic socialists as communists who have seized control of the Democratic Party. He absurdly told reporters that democratic socialists are “the biggest threat to our nation,” even greater than World Wars I and II and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

As a Democrat, I remain a capitalist. And while I have many disagreements with democratic socialists, I have many more with Trump and the feckless congressional Republicans.

Most congressional Republicans have supported Trump’s harmful tariffs and his war of choice against Iran, both of which have sent prices Americans pay for gasoline and other products soaring, fueling inflation. They have also supported Trump’s racist policies, such as his efforts to outlaw diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

In addition, congressional Republicans have failed to stop Trump from trying to rig elections in favor of their party, launching brutal mass deportations of unauthorized immigrants who hold vital jobs, and weaponizing the justice system against his enemies. They have supported Trump’s tax cuts for the rich and spending cuts on beneficial domestic programs.

If Democrats win control of one or both congressional chambers, they will defeat harmful legislation backed by Trump and conduct hearings to hold the president and his administration accountable. They will investigate how Trump monetized the presidency to enrich himself with at least $2.2 billion last year.

To achieve Democratic congressional majorities, voters should cast ballots for all types of Democratic candidates in the midterms, including those they consider too moderate or too far left.

Voters wary of the most extreme democratic socialist proposals should understand that those proposals may never become law even if Democrats gain control of the House and Senate. This is because the vast majority of congressional Democrats will not be democratic socialists in 2027. They will understand that most general election voters in most places don’t support socialism.

A Gallup poll last year found that only 39 percent of U.S. adults had a positive image of socialism. This includes 66 percent of Democrats, 38 percent of independents and 14 percent of Republicans. This explains why democratic socialists can do well in some primaries, but will have a hard time winning general elections in areas not overwhelmingly Democratic.

To pass legislation and represent all their constituents, we can expect most democratic socialists elected in November to move towards the center, embracing pragmatism and some flexibility when ideological rigidity proves ineffective.

With the midterms nearing, all factions in the Democratic Party need to work together, learn from their successful campaigns, and emphasize the many goals they share rather than focusing on their differences.

I don’t expect the differences between democratic socialists and other Democrats to disappear. But for the sake of our country, these two groups must partner to win elections and then compromise to govern successfully.

The consequences of continued Republican control of the House and Senate — where Republican lawmakers serve the interests of Trump rather than the interests of the American people — are too grave for Democrats of any faction to ignore.

Instead of spending time and money on intraparty feuding, Democrats need to keep their eyes on the prize of majorities in both congressional chambers so they can stand up to Trump and make America affordable again.

A. Scott Bolden is an attorney, NewsNation contributor, former chair of the Washington, D.C. Democratic Party and a former New York state prosecutor.