How did the Democratic Socialists of America grow from a small group of elderly activists to a political juggernaut, seemingly on the cusp of taking power in the Democrat Party?
A new report emphasizes that the real strength of the DSA isn’t a few flashy political leaders like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The group’s real strength lies in its organizing power at the state and local levels, which provides the ability to raise up national leaders.
“This is a homegrown or local-from-the-ground-up sort of organizational strategy,” Brooke Medina, vice president of communications at the State Policy Network, told the Daily Signal in an interview Thursday. “That’s why you see them in more competitive races at even the local and state levels.”
SPN published a special report Monday chronicling the DSA’s growth over the years. While an early DSA chapter listing from 2013 shows just 21 chapters, mostly in metropolitan areas, the DSA network now includes 204 distinct chapters and 45 organizing committees. The chapters appear even in redder states like Texas and Florida, but also in less populous states, such as Alabama, Idaho, and West Virginia. The only two states without a DSA chapter are Alaska and Wyoming.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member