A Democratic lawmaker representing a battleground House district has privately discussed leaving the party due to concerns over recent primary election results, CNN reported, citing sources. The lawmaker's reported deliberations come after a surge of victories by candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), several of whom were supported by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Two of Mayor Mamdani's endorsed candidates unseated incumbent Democrats who had received backing from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Jeffries acknowledged disagreements with Mamdani over endorsements but described their relationship as positive.
Among the victorious candidates is Darializa Avila Chevalier, who has faced scrutiny for her responses to questions about crime and her past statements advocating for the abolition of police and prisons.
These primary results have intensified concerns among some Democrats that progressive candidates may be too polarizing to win general elections and help the party regain control of the House of Representatives in November. Moderate Democratic candidates have also lost primaries in battleground districts this month, including those endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Randy Villegas and Matt Dunlap are set to challenge vulnerable House Republicans in California and Maine, respectively.
Should Democrats fail to flip at least three seats currently held by Republicans, their majority could be precarious. A small majority would make the party vulnerable to internal defections, potentially hindering their ability to oppose President Donald Trump. Greg Meeks, a New York Democrat, characterized the DSA victories as "not a good night for New York" and expressed a desire for the party to focus more on opposing Trump rather than internal disputes.
New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer voiced strong opposition to the progressive wins, particularly Mayor Mamdani's criticisms of Israel and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which Gottheimer labeled as antisemitic. He questioned whether socialists should be considered Democrats, stating, "Many of us believe, as I do, that if you're a socialist, you're not a Democrat."
Jamie Metzl, a former State Department official, criticized Avila Chevalier as a "toxic, anti-American bigot" and urged the party to actively oppose her candidacy. Moderate Democratic strategists have expressed fears to Politico that the policy positions of more radical candidates could be exploited by Republicans to attack mainstream Democrats in the upcoming elections. Matt Bennett, co-founder of a moderate think tank, suggested that "these [DSA] races might have some impact on 2026 if Republicans weaponize the craziest ideas of these candidates against mainstream Democrats."
Despite these concerns, Democratic leadership has sought to downplay the impact of the progressive wins. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated on Wednesday, "You’re seeing centrist energy in Virginia, Iowa, and New Jersey, progressive energy in New York City. We’re going to harness it all to win in November."