July 12 2026 - 8:00pm
Following a series of high-profile victories by candidates affiliated with the Left-wing Democratic Socialists of America, a faction of center-left Democrats is finally pushing back. They argue that the DSA’s values do not, or at least should not, represent the party’s values — or America’s.
A new letter titled “Promise to America” outlines six principles these Democrats believe their party must stand for, the first of which strikes at the DSA’s foundational premise: “We are capitalist, not socialist.” It affirms that Democrats believe in shared prosperity as well as security and safety, including at the nation’s borders and in its communities.
Other principles echo Clinton- and Obama-era liberal ideals and patriotism, arguing that America remains an indispensable player on the world stage for ensuring “global stability, democratic values, international security, and strong alliances”. The letter calls for a government that can “solve problems, not create them”; a society that respects freedom of speech and democratic pluralism; and a civic culture that is aspirational and believes in the promise of America. It also rejects the politics of “purity, contempt, and cultural division”.
So far, 15 Democratic candidates for the US House of Representatives, including 10 incumbents, have signed the letter. Of the 15, 12 are running in districts that are rated as either competitive or favoring Republicans — in other words, the kind of seats that will determine which party controls the House after the midterms later this year.
It’s thus important for these Democrats to clearly distinguish themselves from the DSA, and even the national Democratic Party itself. Indeed, rather than forcefully repudiating candidates who possess these extreme views, such as support for police abolition or the belief that the 9/11 attacks on America may have been justified, the party establishment has welcomed them. Republicans, facing an unfriendly midterm environment, are thanking their lucky stars for the slip-ups and hope to link these candidates to those running in much tougher districts.
Making matters worse for the swing-district candidates is that the Democrats’ national standing today is not nearly as strong as it was in 2018 when they enjoyed a wave election and flipped several districts that went for Donald Trump two years earlier. After a brief surge in late May on the generic congressional ballot, Democrats’ net advantage over Republicans has ticked back down and now trails where they were at the same time in 2018 by 1.3 points. A big reason for this is likely that many voters simply aren’t keen on either party currently. This includes all-important independents. Eight years ago, their net approval of Democrats sat at -36; today, that number has sunk even further to -52.
Of course, Democrats went on to have a strong midterm in 2018, and independents aren’t exactly happy with Trump and the Republicans today either. But it’s evident that Democrats do not have this election in the bag just yet, and their Leftward lurch, of which voters do not approve, is unlikely to do them any favors.
To win back the House — or, for that matter, the Senate — Democrats must be able to compete in places where voters lean well to the Right of the party’s base, and even places which Trump won two years ago. Candidates running in these places will have to address voters’ frustrations with the political establishment and offer a clear vision of their own, especially on everyday issues such as the cost of living and healthcare.
Yet they must also show voters who are wary of political extremism in any form that they are willing to stand up to it in their own party, rather than tepidly permit it. The “Promise to America” is a sign that at least some Democrats are fed up with their party’s direction, and that they are seeking to forge a new way.
