A year ago, the Democratic Party saw "abundance"—a growth-friendly, centrist agenda—as a potential path to broader appeal and effective governance. However, recent primary election results, particularly in New York, signal a significant shift, with socialist candidates achieving notable victories against establishment figures and indicating a growing momentum for the party's left wing.
While establishment candidates continue to win in many races, high-profile socialist politicians have successfully captured public attention and influenced discourse. This trend suggests a broader shift in energy and excitement away from centrist reform ideas and toward progressive platforms. Insurgent candidates nationwide appear to have developed a consistent formula for connecting with voters through specific issues, endorsements, and small-donor networks, a strategy that moderates have yet to consistently replicate.
WelcomePAC co-founder Liam Kerr noted a disparity in organization, stating that centrist Democrats are primarily engaged through platforms like Matt Yglesias's Substack, while the left demonstrates superior organizational capacity for voter outreach and mobilization. This stands in contrast to the previous year, when many Democrats coalesced around the "abundance" concept.
The "abundance" idea, inspired by the book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, proposed that by streamlining regulations, reducing reliance on special interests, and fostering private sector growth, Democrats could improve citizens' lives through abundant housing, clean energy, and infrastructure development. This concept became a rallying point for Democrats who were dissatisfied with the party establishment but wary of far-left solutions, though it drew criticism from economic populists who argued it did not sufficiently address wealth and corporate power.
The initial debate involved three factions: the left, the establishment, and the "abundance"-aligned center-left. This has since consolidated into a two-sided contest between the left and the establishment. Elements of the "abundance" agenda have been adopted by figures across the spectrum, including New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and California Governor Gavin Newsom. However, public focus has shifted to other issues, such as the conflict between Israel and Gaza, leaving centrists without a clear mobilizing cause.
Following former Vice President Kamala Harris's 2024 defeat, internal party discussions focused on potential missteps, with some critiquing a perceived shift too far left on issues like immigration and trans rights, and a disconnect from median voters. Despite this, a consensus emerged to downplay "peak woke" positions and redirect attention elsewhere. The "abundance" agenda, released in March 2025, became a focal point for centrist Democrats, critiquing the Biden administration and blue-state Democrats for perceived ineffectiveness. The book's focus on streamlining action and its view of economic growth, rather than viewing business as an adversary, attracted various funders and advocates, positioning "abundance" as a central cause for moderates.
Economic populists on the left, however, criticized "abundance" as a proxy for a billionaire agenda. Nevertheless, prominent Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and Governor Newsom, embraced its ideas. Mamdani himself acknowledged the appeal of "abundance" in enhancing government effectiveness and delivering on policy goals, a sentiment noted by socialist commentator Nathan J. Robinson as a skillful co-option of the term for his affordability agenda.
Despite the book's success in shaping elite discourse, centrists rallying around "abundance" have struggled to translate this into a significant contest for the party's future. Klein and Thompson, as journalists, offered a governing manifesto rather than a campaign strategy. Their policy-oriented prescriptions were broad enough to be adopted by various ideological camps, making it difficult for centrists to use "abundance" as a distinct identifier. This lack of a clear unifying message hindered the emergence of centrist primary challengers capable of generating momentum or new leadership figures, unlike figures like Mamdani.
WelcomePAC's focus on districts won by Trump, aimed at expanding the electoral map, has raised questions about its effectiveness in strengthening the Democratic Party. Furthermore, centrist approaches have appeared less compelling to Democratic primary voters concerned with issues like former President Trump's actions and the conflict in Israel-Gaza. The left has demonstrated a stronger connection with the party's increasingly anti-Israel base, using these debates to draw clearer distinctions between establishment and anti-establishment factions.
Consequently, while a contest for the party's future is underway between the left and the establishment, reformist centrists appear to have been sidelined. The policy ideas of "abundance" remain relevant, particularly concerning housing and energy needs, and could influence future Democratic presidencies. However, as an organizing project for internal party reform, it has not yet achieved its intended impact.