The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is set to take its momentum to the west coast after a string of victories in New York City congressional primaries.
Just hours after their ballot box wins, the DSA is eyeing the Mountain West, with a key primary in Colorado's 1st Congressional District on the horizon.
Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old far-left community organizer, ousted incumbent Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat, while state Assembly Member Claire Valdez won a congressional primary by beating an establishment-backed candidate.
The victories have further emboldened the far left, which is taking on the center-left establishment in a high-stakes battle for the future of the Democratic Party.
The DSA is now looking to replicate its playbook across the country, starting Tuesday in the Democratic primary in Colorado's 1st Congressional District.
Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette, who was first elected to Congress three decades ago, is facing two primary challenges, including DSA-backed Melat Kiros, a first-time candidate and former attorney.
Kiros, who lost her job as a lawyer in New York after writing an essay critical of Israel, is also supported by Justice Democrats, a nearly decade-old political group known for heavily supporting progressive candidates.
The far left is also training its firepower in two high-profile statewide Democratic primaries in early August in key battleground states: the Senate showdown in Michigan and Wisconsin's gubernatorial contest.
DSA-aligned Abdul El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director, is one of three major candidates trying to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong is on the rise among a crowded field of candidates in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani's stunning primary victory a year ago sent shockwaves across the country and cemented the DSA as a major political force.
Mamdani's kingmaker status was further enhanced by last week's results in New York City, with possibly looking to the national stage, the mayor saying, "My goal is to make America a place that every American can afford."
Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo, a veteran of progressive campaigns, said, "Some of the DSA and the majority of the left wing of the Democratic Party appear to be the only ones truly engaging in a conversation about economic populism in a period where costs continue to soar."
It's not just strategists from the progressive wing of the party that acknowledge the increasing power of the far left, with Matt Bennett, a leader at a center-left Democratic organization, noting, "There is enormous energy around the far left in very, very blue places, like New York City."
However, outside of New York City's "commie corridor," more mainstream Democrats prevailed in Tuesday's primaries, with former Nadler staffer Micah Lasher winning a key showdown in Manhattan and Army veteran Cait Conley winning a primary in a swing district.
Republicans are using the far left's momentum to their advantage, with National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella arguing, "Zohran Mamdani's socialist brand is as toxic as it comes."
Marinella charged that Tuesday's results showed the Democrat establishment "officially surrendered to Zohran Mamdani and the socialist wing of their party."
While the far left's momentum is undeniable, its impact on the Democratic Party's future remains to be seen.
