New Poll: Democratic Socialism Is Now Mainstream

A national poll from Jacobin, DSA Fund, and Data for Progress finds broad support for democratic socialist leaders and left-wing policies.

By Editors, Jacobin

A new national survey commissioned by DSA Fund and Jacobin, with support from the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, and fielded by Data for Progress (N=1,257 likely voters; MOE ±3) takes stock of where democratic socialism stands with the electorate — and what it would take to build stable, working-class majorities beyond deep-blue districts.

Among Democrats, democratic socialists enjoy significant popularity. The poll’s findings include:

• Democrats prefer democratic socialism to capitalism by a 58 point margin. Socialism wins overall with likely voters under forty-five years old.
• Democrats prefer left-wing political figures similar to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, and Zohran Mamdani over establishment politicians similar to Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and Nancy Pelosi by a 20 point margin.
  • This was also true across party lines in critical voting blocs: noncollege (+9), Latinos (+30).
• Candidates who identify as democratic socialists are viewed just as favorably (+69) among registered Democrats as candidates who identify only as Democrats (+67).

“These results tell a clear story: democratic socialism is now mainstream,” said DSA Fund executive director Gabe Tobias. “Far from a liability, the ‘democratic socialist’ label is now how voters recognize a leader who they can trust to fight for them. And far from fringe, DSA [Democratic Socialists of America] actually represents the majority political views of Democratic voters.”