An anonymous Democrat in a battleground House district is so spooked by recent far-left victories that the lawmaker has held private conversations about quitting the party, according to CNN.
Democratic Socialists of America candidates roiled the Democratic establishment with a trio of primary wins in New York this week, bolstered by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s support.
Two of Mamdani’s candidates unseated more moderate incumbents who had been endorsed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Jeffries told reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that he and Mamdani had 'agreed to strongly disagree’ on the endorsements, but maintained that his relationship with the mayor was 'a very good one.’
Darializa Avila Chevalier, one of Mamdani’s victorious picks, has recently come under fire for failing to directly answer a question about whether murderers should be imprisoned. She has previously expressed support for abolishing police and prisons.
In an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press on Wednesday, Avila Chevalier said she had not decided whether she would back Jeffries as Speaker in the event that Democrats take back the House.
Other setbacks for the moderate wing of the Democratic party include two Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee-endorsed candidates in battleground districts losing primaries this month.
Challengers Randy Villegas and Matt Dunlap advanced to take on vulnerable House Republicans in California and Maine, respectively.Â
If both parties defend their vacant House seats in November, Democrats only need to flip three to seize the majority back.
But if their majority remains small, even a single defection could undermine the party’s efforts to oppose President Donald Trump.
Some Democrats fear that progressive candidates will simply prove too radical to unseat Republicans and take back the House.Â
Greg Meeks, a New York Democrat close to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, told CNN that he saw the DSA victories as 'not a good night for New York.’Â
He added that he wished his party would spend less resources on infighting and more on opposing Donald Trump.
New Jersey Democrat Josh Gottheimer was another moderate House Representative upset by the far-left victories.
Gottheimer has attacked Mamdani for his criticism of the nation of Israel, on Sunday lambasting as an 'antisemitic conspiracy theory’ Mamdani’s recent description of AIPAC as a 'monster.’
’Are we going to let [the socialists] take over the party?’ he said to CNN on Tuesday.
’Many of us believe, as I do, that if you’re a socialist, you’re not a Democrat.’Â
’A toxic, anti-American bigot like Darializa Avila Chevalier cannot represent the Democratic Party in any way,’ Jamie Metzl, a tech futurist who worked in President Bill Clinton’s State Department, wrote on X Wednesday.Â
’Our party must actively and aggressively work against Chevalier.’Â
Multiple moderate Democratic strategists expressed concern to Politico that the policies of more radical Democrats would expose moderates to GOP attacks.
’These [DSA] races might have some impact on 2026 if Republicans weaponize the craziest ideas of these candidates against mainstream Democrats,’ said Matt Bennett, co-founder of a moderate think tank.
Democratic leadership has downplayed angst over anti-establishment candidates.
’You're seeing centrist energy in Virginia, Iowa, and New Jersey, progressive energy in New York City,’ Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday, per Politico.
’We're going to harness it all to win in November.’
