Time Magazine is reporting that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is experiencing a significant surge in influence and is strategizing for future elections, including the 2028 presidential race. The magazine highlighted the group's national summit in Chicago, where members celebrated recent electoral victories and discussed their growing power within the Democratic Party.
It said that Chris Rabb, fresh off an upset in a Democratic congressional primary near Philadelphia, addressed the summit, noting an unprecedented level of "electricity" within the movement. The DSA's membership has grown to more than 120,000, and its candidates and allies have defeated establishment-backed Democrats in congressional primaries across states like New York, Colorado and Florida.
Time Magazine reported that Zohran Mamdani is leading New York City, and socialists are positioned to win mayoral races in Seattle and Washington, D.C. The magazine also noted that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an early favorite in prediction markets for the notional 2028 Democratic presidential primary. Ashik Siddique, DSA's national co-chair, told the magazine that the current successes are the result of years of groundwork. The magazine attributed the movement's increased visibility to Bernie Sanders, its younger national face to Ocasio-Cortez, and its ability to govern to Mamdani. The article concluded by posing the question of how widely this model will succeed as midterms approach.