The high-stakes fight between the left-wing and the center-left establishment for the future of the Democratic Party is moving to a much larger stage.
After victories by far-left and socialist candidates in dark blue congressional districts in New York City and Colorado the past couple of weeks drew plenty of national attention, the spotlight now shifts to Midwestern battlegrounds.
Hours after Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) backed challenger and first-time candidate Melat Kiros toppled 15-term Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in last week’s primary in Denver’s deep blue 1st Congressional District, former Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri predicted on social media: “On August 4th, St. Louis will do the same.”
A trio of far-left congressional candidates’ victories heavily supported by socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have emboldened progressives as they try to turn their upsets into a far-left national pressure campaign against the Democratic Party.
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“Only socialism can solve decades of capitalist mismanagement in the US. Our newly elected leaders will fight for the working class — not for crumbs,” the DSA proclaimed in a social media post celebrating the string of primary election victories.
DSA-backed Bush is running to win back her seat in the Missouri’s St. Louis-anchored 1st Congressional District. The far left is also training its firepower on Michigan, which holds its primary on the same day as Missouri on Aug. 4.
One week later, on Aug. 11, Wisconsin will hold its primary elections. That’s where DSA-backed state Rep. Francesca Hong is on the rise among a crowded field of candidates in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
“It’s a great day to be a democratic socialist,” Hong posted on X last month after the progressive victories in New York City, in which two Democratic congressional incumbents lost renomination. “Wisconsin is next!”
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It’s undeniable that progressives are gaining momentum and attention, but the real test will come in November when they face off with Republicans and find out if their message on “Medicare-for-all,” the Green New Deal, higher taxes on the rich and abolishing ICE will resonate when the stakes are higher.
Ahead of the upcoming primaries, Fox News Digital takes a look at the 19 Democratic incumbents and 20 candidates who have won nomination so far this year who are backed by either the DSA or two other far-left groups, Justice Democrats (JD) and the Working Families Party (WFP).
Charles Booker – Kentucky Senate
WFP-backed Charles Booker is making his third bid for the Senate in red-leaning Kentucky.
A former state representative, Booker lost in the 2020 Senate primary but won the nomination two years later before losing by over 23 points to Republican Sen. Rand Paul.
This time around, Booker defeated Amy McGrath, the 2020 Senate nominee, in Kentucky’s May primary and is the underdog in the general election against GOP Rep. Andy Barr.
The winner will succeed former Republican Senate Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is in the throes of a health scare and retiring this year after four decades in the chamber.
Bob Brooks – Pennsylvania 7th Congressional District
Brooks, a retired firefighter and president of the Pennsylvania Fire Fighters Association, was handpicked by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to run for Congress.
The WFP-backed Brooks won the May Democratic primary in a swing district in northeast Pennsylvania, and is challenging incumbent GOP Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in a midterm race that’s among two or three dozen that will determine if Republicans hold their razor-thin House majority.
Connie Chan – California 11th Congressional District
Chan, born in Hong Kong and endorsed by the WFP, serves on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She is running to succeed retiring former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Fellow Democrat Scott Wiener, a state senator, will face off with Chan in the general election in November in the heavily blue district that sits entirely within San Francisco’s city limits.
Darializa Avila Chevalier – New York 13th Congressional District
Chevalier, a DSA member who was also backed by the Justice Democrats, stunned political circles from coast to coast in the June New York primary by ousting incumbent Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
The far-left Chevalier, a community organizer who has created controversy with past comments and anti-Israel rhetoric, is considered the overwhelming general election favorite in the Democrat-dominated district located in northern Manhattan and the Bronx.
Alissa Ellman – New York 24th Congressional District
Ellman, a U.S. Army veteran who later served as a military contractor in Afghanistan, won the June Democratic primary in the upstate New York congressional district.
The WFP-backed Ellman, who worked at the Veterans Administration before being let go amid the DOGE cuts, faces an uphill climb to victory in November in the solidly red district against Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney.
Chris Galant – New York 1st Congressional District
Galant, an air traffic controller backed by the WFP, cruised to the Democratic nomination in New York’s June primary.
But he’ll be the underdog against GOP Rep. Nick LaLota in the right-leaning district on the eastern end and north shore of Long Island.
Aaron Gies – New York 23rd Congressional District
A college professor, Geis is another candidate supported by the WFP that won hs Democratic primary election in New York in a landslide.
But the candidate faces a steep uphill climb in the general election against incumbent Republican Rep. Nick Langworthy in the solidly red district based in western New York and in the state’s southern tier.
Angela Gonzales-Torres – California 34th Congressional District
Gonzales-Torres, a former neighborhood council president who also worked in the Los Angeles mayor’s office, advanced to the general election in last month’s California primary.
Backed by the JD and the WFP, Gonzales-Torres is facing off in the autumn against incumbent Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez in the solidly blue congressional district anchored in Los Angeles.
Deb Haaland – New Mexico governor
Haaland, a former congresswoman who made history as the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary during her tenure running the Interior Department in then-President Joe Biden’s administration, is the Democratic nominee for New Mexico governor.
The WFP-backed Haaland is considered the favorite as she faces off in the general election against Republican Gregg Hull in the left-leaning southwestern state.
Pat Halpin – New York 2nd Congressional District
Halpin, a former Suffolk County executive, is the Democratic congressional nominee for a seat that covers the central portions of Long Island’s South Shore.
The WFP-endorsed Halpin is the underdog against incumbent GOP Rep. Andrew Garbarino in the general election.
Adam Hamawy – New Jersey 12th Congressional District
Hamawy, a plastic surgeon and former U.S. Army combat surgeon, grabbed national attention in 2024 as part of a volunteer team of American doctors in Gaza who were unable to leave after Israel closed border crossings during its war with Hamas.
The JD-backed Hamawy topped a crowded field of candidates to win the party’s congressional primary in the solidly blue district in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.
During the primary campaign, Hamawy’s past ties to a convicted terrorist who was convicted of seditious conspiracy linked to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing resurfaced.
Frederick Douglass Haynes III – Texas 30th Congressional District
Haynes, the senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, won the March Democratic primary in a landslide in the race to succeed Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who unsuccessfully ran for the Senate instead of seeking re-election.
The JD-backed Haynes is considered the overwhelming favorite against Republican nominee Everett Jackson in the Democrat-dominated district located in the southern portions of Dallas.
Melat Kiros – Colorado 1st Congressional District
The DSA-endorsed Kiros drew plenty of national attention in Colorado’s June primary when she toppled Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette, who has served in Congress for 30 years representing the Denver seat.
The 29-year-old first-time candidate and attorney, who is also backed by the JD and WFP, is now on a glide path to Washington in the Democrat-dominated district.
Past comments by Kiros that American foreign policy had made the 9/11 terror attacks “inevitable” were spotlighted during her primary clash with DeGette.
Brad Lander – New York 10th Congressional District
Supported by Mamdani and WFP, Lander ousted incumbent Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman in New York’s June primary. The former New York City comptroller ran against Mamdani in last year’s mayoral primary before becoming one of his top allies in the general election.
Lander is the clear favorite in the general election in the deep blue district which covers lower Manhattan and the northwestern neighborhoods of Brooklyn.
Brian Poindexter – Ohio 7th Congressional District
Poindexter, an iron worker and a councilman in a small city in suburban Cleveland, is backed by the WFP.
He’ll take on GOP Rep. Max Miller in the right-leaning district in the general election.
Chris Rabb – Pennsylvania 3rd Congressional District
The DSA, WFP and JD all support Rabb, who won the June Pennsylvania primary in the Philadelphia anchored district in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Dwight Evans.
Rabb, a leftist supported by the Squad, is the overwhelming favorite in the dark blue district.
Claire Valdez – New York 7th Congressional District
Valdez, a state lawmaker endorsed by the DSA, won New York’s June congressional primary to succeed retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez in a district that includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens.
Valez, who topped Velázquez-backed Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso for the Democratic nomination, is the clear favorite to win in November in the Democrat-dominated district.
Mai Vang – California 7th Congressional District
Vang, a Sacramento city councilor, slightly edged Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui in the state’s June nonpartisan primary.
The WFP and JD-endorsed Vang and Matsui will face off again in November’s general election for the solidly blue seat, which includes downtown Sacramento and suburban areas.
Randy Villegas – California 22nd Congressional District
Villegas, a school board trustee in the San Joaquin Valley city of Visalia, came in second to Republican Rep. David Valadao in California’s June primary.
The WFP-backed Villegas, a Democrat, topped fellow Democrat Jasmeet Bains to advance to the general election against Valadao in the crucial swing district race.
Aisha Wahab – California 14th Congressional District
Wahab, who is supported by the WFP, came in first in California’s primary, and will face off with fellow Democrat Melissa Hernandez in the general election in the solidly blue district south and southwest of Oakland.
The winner in November will fill the seat left vacant when then-Rep. Eric Swalwell, who was running for governor, ended his campaign and resigned from Congress in April amid scandal involving sexual misconduct allegations.
Rep. Alma Adams – North Carolina 12th Congressional District
Adams has represented a bright blue district anchored in Charlotte and surrounding Mecklenburg County for nearly a dozen years. Known for wearing distinctive hats in Congress, Adams is backed by the WFP.
She cruised to renomination in the early March primary and is considered the clear frontrunner against GOP challenger Jack Codiga, a finance professional.
Rep. Greg Cesar – Texas 37th Congressional District
Cesar, a former Austin city councilman, currently represents the state’s 35th district, but is running for re-election in the recently redrawn 37th District.
The chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus is backed by the WFP.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal – Washington 7th Congressional District
Jayapal, the first Indian American woman elected to Congress, for a decade has represented a Seattle-based district.
The JD-backed Jayapal, who served as chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for four years earlier this decade, is on a glide path to re-election in the bluest district in the Pacific Northwest.
Rep. Tim Kennedy – New York 26th Congressional District
Kennedy represents a western New York district that stretches from Buffalo to Niagara Falls.
The WFP-endorsed Kennedy is the favorite for re-election this autumn in the left-leaning district.
Rep. Ro Khanna – California 17th Congressional District
Khanna, one of the most visible progressive lawmakers in the House, was first elected to Congress a decade ago by ousting Democratic incumbent Rep. Mike Honda.
The JD and WFP-backed Khanna, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, is on a glide path to re-election in the left-leaning district located in the South Bay and East Bay portions of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Rep. Summer Lee – Pennsylvania 12th Congressional District
Lee, the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, is a former DSA member and part of the Squad.
The JD and WFP-backed Lee is expected to cruise to re-election this autumn in a left-leaning district that includes much of Pittsburgh and its eastern suburbs.
Rep. John Mannion – New York 22nd Congressional District
A former high school biology teacher, Mannion served as a state lawmaker before winning election to Congress in 2024.
The WFP-backed Mannion is favored to win re-election in the solidly Democratic upstate New York district that includes Syracuse and Utica.
Rep. LaMonica McIver – New Jersey 10th Congressional District
McIver, a former Newark municipal council member, represents an urban and suburban district in northern New Jersey.
The WFP-backed lawmaker drew national attention last year when she was among a group of Democrats attempting to make a congressional oversight visit to an ICE facility in Newark.
McIver was later indicted by a grand jury for “forcibly impeding and interfering with federal officers” during the visit. She has disputed the charges as political in nature.
Rep. Analilia Mejia – New Jersey 11th Congressional District
Mejia, the co-director of the nonprofit progressive advocacy group, won a special election in April in the race to succeed now Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who stepped down from Congress after winning last November’s gubernatorial election.
The WFP-backed Mejia, who represents a northern New Jersey seat west of New York City, is favored in November to secure a full term in the left-leaning district.
Rep. Joe Morelle – New York 25th Congressional District
A former New York state Assembly majority leader, Morelle was elected to Congress in 2018.
The WFP-endorsed Morelle is on a glide path to re-election in the Democratic-dominated upstate New York district anchored in Rochester.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – New York 14th Congressional District
Eight years after bursting onto the national stage by ousting then-House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley in a shocking primary upset, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s political options look brighter than ever.
The four-term progressive firebrand from New York City is eyeing a potential 2028 bid for the White House or a possible challenge to longtime Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer.
Ocasio-Cortez, best known by her acronym AOC, is the most visible member of the Squad.
She is backed by the DSA, JD and the WFP as she’s expected to cruise to re-election this autumn in a dark blue district that covers parts of the Bronx and Queens.
Rep. Ilhan Omar – Minnesota 5th Congressional District
Omar, the fist Somali American elected to Congress and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota, is also a member of the Squad. Omar is one of the first two Muslim women elected to U.S. Congress.
Backed by JD and a frequent target of President Donald Trump, Omar represents a Democrat-dominated district that includes the entire city of Minneapolis and some of its inner suburbs.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley – Massachusetts 7th Congressional District
Pressley, a former Boston city councilor, won election to Congress in 2018 by ousting longtime Democratic Rep. Michael Capuano in the Democratic primary.
The first Black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts, Pressley is another well-known member of the Squad.
The JD-backed Pressley is an overwhelming favorite for re-election in a Democrat-dominated district that includes much of Boston and some of the city’s suburbs.
Rep. Delia Ramirez – Illinois 3rd Congressional District
The daughter of undocumented immigrants, Ramirez served as a state lawmaker before winning election to Congress in 2022.
The JD-backed Ramirez is all but certain to win re-election this fall in her dark blue district that includes neighborhoods in northwestern Chicago and the city’s western suburbs.
Rep. Josh Riley – New York 19th Congressional District
Riley, a lawyer who worked as a Department of Labor policy analyst and a counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is seeking a second term in a competitive and large district located in New York’s Catskills, Hudson Valley, greater Capital District, Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions.
The WFP-backed Riley will face off this autumn against Republican state Sen. Peter Oberacker.
Rep. Pat Ryan – New York 18th Congressional District
Ryan, a West Point graduate who served two tours of duty in the Iraq war and was awarded two Bronze Stars, co-founded a software company following his military career and later served as Ulster County executive.
The WFP-backed Ryan is likely to win re-election this autumn in a left-leaning district that includes some of New York City’s northern suburbs and exurbs, as well as the Hudson Valley cities of Newburg, Kingston, and Poughkeepsie.
Rep. Lateefah Simon – California 12th Congressional District
Simon, who served on Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) board of directors and as a California University System trustee, was elected to Congress in 2024, succeeding longtime Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee.
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Simon is the first member of Congress known to be born legally blind in both eyes, and the first Muslim member from California.
The WFP-backed Simon is on a glide path for re-election in a dark blue district that includes Oakland and surrounding Alameda County.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib – Michigan 12th Congressional District
First elected to the House in 2018, Tliab, along with Ilhan Omar, is one of the first two Muslim women in Congress.
A former state lawmaker, Tlaib and fellow Squad member Ocasio-Cortez are the first female DSA members to serve in Congress. She is also backed by the JD and WFP.
Tlaib is expected to easily secure re-election. During her tenure, the Palestinian-born congresswoman has been a vocal critic of both the Trump and Biden administrations, is sharply critical of Israel, and calls for abolishing ICE.
Rep. Paul Tonko – New York 20th Congressional District
A longtime former state lawmaker, Tonko was first elected to Congress in 2008.
Known as a staunch progressive, the WFP-backed Tonko is heavily favored to win re-election in a left-leaning seat that includes New York’s Capital District as well as Saratoga.
