Progressive Democrats Are Winning in Just About Every Corner of America

Sweet victories are fueled by demands of voters who want new leaders and authentic advocates.

By Katrina Vanden Heuvel, The Nation

The conventional wisdom has historically been that the best primary outcome in a competitive election is for an experienced, moderate candidate—poll-tested and hand-picked by party leadership—to waltz to a nomination.

But in key primary elections this year, progressive leaders are pursuing a different approach. Elected officials like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ro Khanna—as well as organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Our Revolution, the Working Families Party (WFP), and Justice Democrats—are throwing their weight behind candidates whose values and records align with the growing economic populist movement on the left. And in just about every corner of America, they’re winning.

In Michigan’s open Senate race, Chuck Schumer has made his support of moderate Representative Hayley Stevens clear. But that hasn’t stopped Abdul El-Sayed from climbing in the polls. Running on a platform of taxing billionaires, ending the corrosive effects of money in politics, and Medicare for All, El-Sayed has picked up endorsements from Sanders, Representative Ro Khanna, Our Revolution, and the influential United Auto Workers union.

Meanwhile, despite being bruised by his list of scandals, oyster farmer and Marine corps veteran Graham Platner has risen in polls, demonstrating the burgeoning power of Maine’s voters and upstart progressive candidates. Facing almost certain defeat in Maine, Schumer’s hand-picked candidate Governor Janet Mills suspended her campaign and cleared the path to Platner’s primary victory.