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List of socialist members of the United States Congress

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The following is a list of members of the United States Congress who have declared themselves to be socialists or have been a member of a socialist organization in the United States.

History

[edit]

From the 1890s to the 1910s, most socialists who won election to public office ran on the Populist or Socialist Party of America (SPA) ballot lines. While the SPA won a few federal elections, its electoral power was much greater in local and state elections, and briefly held over 1,000 local offices.[1] During the First Red Scare, the House of Representatives twice refused to seat socialist Victor Berger, who would be convicted of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and again won his seat.[2]

Very few Communist Party USA (CPUSA) members have ever won federal office, and never as open Communists. The Second Red Scare and McCarthy era resulted in persecution of socialists, removal of socialists from unions, and weaker socialist electoral outcomes.[3]

In the 1920s–40s, several socialists won election to US Congress during the Great Depression as members of the New Deal coalition, including several Progressive Republican (members of the progressive branch of the Republican Party).

Starting in the 1970s and 80s, a small number of social-democratic and democratic socialist Democrats began to win elections to Congress. These Democrats were usually affiliated with Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee (DSOC), later the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). After the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign and explosion of DSA membership, the DSA rapidly gained half a dozen seats in the House. In 2021, there were more socialists in Congress than any point in US history,[4][5] most of whom are members of the DSA.[6] In 2024, after Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman lost re-election and Greg Casar and Summer Lee lost their DSA endorsements, that number shrank again.

Members elected as socialists

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The table below lists members of the United States Congress who were open socialists or open members of a socialist organization during their time in office.

As of August 19, 2026:

Member Photo Term start Term end Dist Ballot line Note
Summer Lee Jan 3, 2023 Current PA-12 Democratic Party Lee is a democratic socialist and former DSA member.[7][8] In 2018, Lee was endorsed for a Pennsylvania House of Representatives election by national DSA and Pittsburgh DSA.[9][10][11] Lee joined DSA in 2018,[8][12] distanced herself in 2019 after a Pittsburg DSA leadership change,[13] and had left by 2021.[12]
Cori Bush Jan 3, 2021 Jan 3, 2025 MO-1 Democratic Party Bush is a democratic socialist and DSA member.[14] Bush was endorsed by national DSA and St. Louis DSA.[15]
Jamaal Bowman Jan 3, 2021 Jan 3, 2025 NY-16 Democratic Party Bowman is a democratic socialist and DSA member.[16] Bowman was endorsed by New York City DSA (NYC-DSA) over 2020-25 and national DSA over 2020-22, when national DSA un-endorsed him in a rift over Israel.[17][18]
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Jan 3, 2019 Current NY-14 Democratic and Working Families (fusion) Ocasio-Cortez is a democratic socialist and DSA member.[5][a] She was endorsed by national DSA from 2018–2024 and remains endorsed by NYC-DSA.[20][21]
Rashida Tlaib Jan 3, 2019 Current MI-12 Democratic Party Tlaib is a democratic socialist and a DSA member.[5][2]
Bernie Sanders Jan 3, 2007 Current VT-Sen Independent Sanders is a democratic socialist.[22][23] Although an independent, Sanders maintains a close relationship with the Democratic Party, having caucused with House and Senate Democrats for most of his congressional career.[24][b]
Jan 3, 1991 Jan 3, 2007 VT-AL Independent
Ron Dellums Jan 3, 1971 Feb 6, 1998 CA-9 Democratic Party Dellums was a democratic socialist,[25] a founding DSOC member[26][25] and became vice-chair of DSA.[2]
John Conyers Jan 3, 1965 Dec 5, 2017 MI-13 Democratic Party Conyers was a democratic socialist, a DSOC member,[26] and a founding DSA member.[27]
Leo Isacson Feb 17, 1948 Jan 3, 1949 NY-24 American Labor Party According to a Wall Street Journal editorial, Isacson was a socialist. He worked alongside Vito Marcantonio.[28] In April 1948, he was the first member of Congress to be denied a United States passport by the State Department, when he attempted to go to Paris to attend a conference for the American Council for a Democratic Greece, which opposed the Greek government in the Greek Civil War.[29][30]
Bolívar Pagán Dec 26, 1939 Jan 3, 1945 PR-AL Republican Union Pagán was a socialist and a member of the Socialist Party of Puerto Rico. He was appointed resident commissioner in a Socialist-Republican Union coalition.[31]
Vito Marcantonio Jan 3, 1939 Jan 3, 1951 NY-18 American Labor Party Marcantonio was a socialist, a New Deal coalition member, and a Progressive Republican, like his mentor and ally Fiorello La Guardia.[28][32] In the 1940s and 1950s, he was surveilled by the FBI, who cited his affiliation with Communist-associated groups.[33][34]
Jan 3, 1935 Jan 3, 1937 NY-20 Republican Party
Santiago Iglesias Mar 4, 1933 Dec 5, 1939 PR-AL Socialist Party Iglesias was a socialist who co-founded the Socialist Party of Puerto Rico.[35]
Victor Berger Mar 4, 1923 Mar 3, 1929 WI-5 Socialist Party of America Berger was a socialist, a founding member of the Social Democratic Party of America, and a founding member of its successor, the Socialist Party of America.[2] Berger served his first 1911–1913 term without issue. In 1919, Berger was convicted of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 for publicizing his anti-interventionist views and was denied the seat to which he had been reelected in the House. In 1921, the criminal verdict was overturned by the Supreme Court in Berger v. United States. Berger was subsequently elected to three successive terms in the 1920s.[36]
Mar 4, 1919 Nov 10, 1919 WI-5 Socialist Party of America
Mar 4, 1911 Mar 3, 1913 WI-5 Socialist Party of America
Meyer London Mar 4, 1921 Mar 3, 1923 NY-12 Socialist Party of America London was a socialist and a founder of the Socialist Party of America.[2] London voted against American entry into World War I and the Espionage Act of 1917, enraging wartime patriots, while voting for war funding bills, enraging antiwar socialists (see also Internationalist–defencist schism).[37] London, who was Jewish and represented the highly Jewish Lower East Side, opposed a Zionist resolution to support the Balfour Declaration, leading conservative rabbis to campaign against him.[38] Against these headwinds, London lost re-election in 1918, then won election again in 1920.[37]
Mar 4, 1915 Mar 3, 1919 NY-12 Socialist Party of America
George Lunn Mar 4, 1917 Mar 4, 1919 NY-30 Democratic Party Lunn was a Christian socialist and Social Gospel preacher.[39] In 1911, Lunn joined the Socialist Party of America and was elected mayor of Schenectady on the Socialist ticket, where he pursued a "sewer socialist" agenda.[39] In 1916, Lunn was elected to the House as a Democrat.[39]
Henry Smith Mar 4, 1887 Mar 3, 1889 WI-4 Union Labor Party Smith was a socialist.[40] He was elected to both the Milwaukee Common Council and the Wisconsin State Assembly on the Socialist ballot line.[41]
Horace Greeley Dec 4, 1848 Mar 3, 1849 NY-6 Whig Greeley supported Fourierism in the 1840s, a utopian socialist tendency, and after 1848 shifted toward a form of liberal socialism or mutualism.[42][43]: 493 
Robert Dale Owen Mar 4, 1843 Mar 3, 1847 IN-1 Democratic Party Owen supported Owenism, a utopian socialist tendency based on the ideas of his father, Robert Owen.[44]

2026 House candidates running as socialists

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The following candidates have won Democratic Party primaries for the 2026 House elections in traditionally Democratic districts.

As of August 19, 2026:

Member Photo Term start Term end Dist Ballot line Note
Chris Rabb Jan 3, 2027 Current PA-3 Democratic Party Rabb is a democratic socialist and a DSA member.[45] Rabb was endorsed by national DSA and Philadelphia DSA.[46]
Claire Valdez Jan 3, 2027 Current NY-7 Democratic and Working Families (fusion) Valdez is a democratic socialist[47] and a DSA member.[48] Valdez was a longtime chapter leader in NYC-DSA[49] before she ran for Congress, in which NYC-DSA endorsed her.[48]
Brad Lander Jan 3, 2027 Current NY-10 Democratic and Working Families (fusion) Lander is a progressive and a democratic socialist.[50][51][49] Lander was a DSA member from 1987 to 2023, when he left the group citing the October 7 attacks.[52]
Darializa Avila Chevalier Jan 3, 2027 Current NY-13 Democratic and Working Families (fusion) Avila Chevalier is a democratic socialist and a DSA member.[53] Avila Chevalier was endorsed by NYC-DSA.[49][48]
Melat Kiros Jan 3, 2027 Current CO-1 Democratic Party Kiros is a democratic socialist and a DSA member.[54] Kiros was endorsed by national DSA and Denver DSA.[55]
Donavan McKinney Jan 3, 2027 Current MI-13 Democratic Party McKinney is a democratic socialist and a DSA member.[56] McKinney was endorsed by national DSA and Metro Detroit DSA.[57]

Members who were socialists out of office

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The table below lists members of the United States Congress who were open socialists or open members of a socialist organization at some point in their life, but not while they held Congressional office. As of August 19, 2026:

Member Photo Term start Term end Dist Ballot line Note
Greg Casar Jan 3, 2023 Current TX-35 Democratic Party Until mid-2022, Casar identified as a democratic socialist.[58][59] He was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America from 2017 to 2022.[59][60]
Barbara Lee Apr 21, 1998 Jan 3, 2025 CA-12 Democratic Party As a college student in 1968, Lee volunteered at the Oakland chapter of the Black Panther Party's Community Learning Center and worked on Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale's 1973 campaign for mayor of Oakland.[61][62] Lee was surveilled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation due to her Black Panther work.[63]
Bobby Rush Jan 3, 1993 Jan 3, 2023 IL-1 Democratic Party He co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1968, serving as the group's defense minister.[64][65] He left the Black Panthers in 1974.[66]
William H. Meyer Jan 3, 1959 Jan 3, 1961 VT-AL Democratic Party Meyer was a progressive.[67] In 1970, he co-founded the Liberty Union Party, a socialist political party.[68]
George M. Rhodes Jan 3, 1949 Jan 3, 1969 PA-6 Democratic Party Rhodes was a member of the Socialist Party of Pennsylvania.[69][70] He was elected to the Socialist Party of America's National Executive Committee in 1936.[71][69]
Andrew Biemiller Jan 3, 1949 Jan 3, 1951 WI-5 Democratic Party Biemiller was a member of the Socialist Party of America until 1935 before joining the Wisconsin Progressive Party, where he remained until 1944. He was later elected to the House as a Democrat.[72]
Jan 3, 1945 Jan 3, 1947 WI-5 Democratic Party
Hugh De Lacy Jan 3, 1945 Jan 3, 1947 WA-1 Democratic Party From 1937 to 1939, De Lacy led the Seattle chapter of Communist Party USA.[73]: 256  By the time he was elected to the House in 1944, De Lacy had moderated his political views and become "once more a loyal New Dealer".[73]: 483 
Henry Teigan Jan 3, 1937 Jan 3, 1939 MN-3 Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party Teigan was a member of the Socialist Party of America from 1913 to 1916. He later joined the Nonpartisan League until 1923, when he became a member of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party.[74]
John Bernard Jan 3, 1937 Jan 3, 1939 MN-8 Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party Bernard was one of the few current, former, or future members of Congress to openly support the Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War.[75] In the 1930s and 1940s, Bernard worked alongside Communist Party USA front groups.[76][77] In 1952, Bernard was subpoenaed by the House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC), where he asserted his loyalty to America and took his Fifth Amendment privilege.[78] In 1977, Bernard joined Communist Party USA.[78]
Jerry Voorhis Jan 3, 1937 Jan 3, 1947 CA-12 Democratic Party Voorhis was inspired by Christian socialism and the Social Gospel tradition.[79] He was a member of the Socialist Party of America until 1934, when he joined the Democratic Party.[80]: 27–28  In 1936, Voorhis was elected as a "Progressive Roosevelt-Democrat".[81] Voorhis was anti-communist and served on the House Un-American Activities Committee.[80]: 36 
Homer Bone Jan 3, 1933 Nov 13, 1944 WA-Sen Democratic Party Bone was a member of the Socialist Party of America until 1920; he later joined the Democratic Party.[82]
Freeman Knowles Mar 4, 1897 Mar 3, 1899 SD-AL People's Party In the 1900s, Knowles joined the Socialist Party of America.[83]
Haldor Boen Mar 4, 1893 Mar 3, 1895 MN-7 People's Party In the 1900s, Boen joined the Socialist Party of America.[84]
Kittel Halvorson Mar 3, 1891 Mar 4, 1893 MN-5 People's Party In the 1900s, Halvorson joined the Socialist Party of America.[85]

Members with disputed ideologies

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The table below includes members who have been described as socialist, but do not identify with the ideology.

As of August 19, 2026:

Member Photo Term start Term end Dist Ballot line Note
Maxwell Frost Jan 3, 2023 Current FL-10 Democratic Party Republicans have called Frost a socialist. He has disputed this label, describing socialism as something "[his] family fled".[86]
Shri Thanedar Jan 3, 2021 Jan 3, 2027 MI-13 Democratic Party Thanedar joined the Democratic Socialists of America after he was first elected. In September 2023, the DSA expelled him after he invited Narendra Modi to speak at the United States Capitol.[87][88][89] In October 2023, Thanedar renounced his DSA membership, citing the October 7 attacks.[90]
Ayanna Pressley Jan 3, 2019 Current MA-07 Democratic Party Pressley has stated that she is not a democratic socialist.[91][92]
Ilhan Omar Jan 3, 2019 Current MN-5 Democratic Party Omar is a progressive. In 2019, Donald Trump labelled Omar an "America-hating socialist" while a crowd chanted "send her back".[93][94][95][96] Omar has not described herself as a socialist, and she has never been a DSA member,[97] though in 2020, the DSA called her a "friend".[98]
Karen Bass Jan 3, 2011 Dec 9, 2022 CA-33, CA-37 Democratic Party In her youth, Bass was a member of the pro-Cuban Revolution Venceremos Brigade.[99] In 2020, Bass publicly rejected socialism, saying, "I'm not a socialist, I'm not a communist. I've belonged to one party my entire life and that's the Democratic Party and I'm a Christian."[100][101] In 2026, DSA member Nithya Raman primaried Bass for Mayor of Los Angeles.
Raúl Grijalva Jan 3, 2003 Mar 13, 2025 AZ-7 Democratic Party Until 1974, Grijalva was a member of the left-wing Raza Unida Party.[102][103]
Danny Davis Jan 3, 1997 Jan 3, 2027 IL-7 Democratic Party Davis is described as a progressive.[104] He was a member of DSA and the New Party. Both the New Party and Chicago Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Davis in his successful 1996 election campaign.<[105][106] In 2020 and 2022, Chicago DSA endorsed an opponent in the Democratic primary.[107][108]
Jerry Nadler Nov 3, 1992 Jan 3, 2027 NY-12 Democratic Party Nadler is a progressive, was a DSOC member,[109] and was a DSA member.[110]
Major Owens Jan 3, 1983 Jan 3, 2007 NY-11 Democratic Party Owens identified as a progressive[111] and was a DSA member.[2][112]
George Crockett Jr. Nov 4, 1980 Jan 3, 1991 MI-13 Democratic Party Crockett was a progressive and a member of the National Lawyers Guild who defended Communist Party USA members during the Smith Act trials. Crockett attended DSA's founding conference but did not join.[113]
David Bonior Jan 3, 1977 Jan 3, 2003 MI-10 Democratic Party Bonior was a progressive and a DSA member.[114][115][116][117]
Allard K. Lowenstein Jan 3, 1969 Jan 3, 1971 NY-05 Democratic Party Lowenstein aligned with the New Left and was supported in his campaigns by prominent DSA members such as Ron Dellums, though he never identified as a socialist.[118]
Will Rogers Jr. Jan 3, 1943 May 23, 1944 CA-16 Democratic Party Rogers was one of the few current, former, or future members of Congress to openly support the Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War.[119]
Jerry J. O'Connell Jan 3, 1937 Jan 3, 1939 MT-01 Democratic Party O'Connell was one of the few current, former, or future members of Congress to openly support the Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War. Although he was a member of several organizations supported by the Communist Party USA, O'Connell was never openly a CPUSA member or an ideological communist; he denied identifying as such while under oath.[120]
Thomas Ryum Amlie Jan 3, 1935 Jan 3, 1939 WI-1 Wisconsin Progressive Party[c] Amlie was a progressive inspired by Thorstein Veblen and Technocracy.[121]: 231  In a September 1933 speech to the League for Independent Political Action, Amlie advocated replacing "production for profit" with a planned "economy of abundance" with "production for use"; the League subsequently established the Farmer-Labor Political Federation with Amlie as chairman.[122]
Oct 13, 1931 Mar 3, 1933 WI-1 Republican Party
Fiorello La Guardia Mar 4, 1927 Mar 3, 1933 NY-20 Republican Party La Guardia was a progressive. Although La Guardia ran on the Socialist Party ticket in 1924, he was not close with the party.[123]: 267–70 [124][123]: 14–15 [125] In 1922, he ran for Congress and won on the Republican line; in 1924, he won on the Socialist and Progressive fusion line; and in 1926-1928-1930, he won as a Republican again.[124] In the 1925–27 session of Congress, the clerk listed La Guardia's partisan affiliation as Socialist,[124][126] leading Victor L. Berger (the only other Socialist in Congress) to call La Guardia "my whip".[124]
Mar 4, 1925 Mar 4, 1927 NY-20 Socialist and Progressive (fusion)
Mar 4, 1923 Mar 4, 1925 NY-20 Republican Party
Mar 4, 1917 Dec 31, 1919 NY-14 Republican and Progressive (fusion)
Smith W. Brookhart Mar 4, 1927 Mar 3, 1933 IA-Sen Republican Party Brookhart was one of the few current, former, or future members of Congress to openly support the Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War.[127]
Nov 8, 1922 Apr 12, 1926 IA-Sen Republican Party
Robert M. La Follette Jan 4, 1906 Jun 18, 1925 WI-Sen Republican and Progressive (fusion) La Follette was a progressive who aligned himself with socialist groups, particularly the Conference for Progressive Political Action and the Socialist Party of America, in his 1924 presidential campaign, though he did not identify as a socialist himself.[128][121]
Mar 4, 1885 Mar 3, 1891 WI-3 Republican Party

See also

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Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ AOC joined DSA in 2018 and remained a dues-paying member through 2019, when her dues-paying membership lapsed. Neither AOC or national DSA noticed the lapse until 2026, when AOC formally restarted her dues payments.[19]
  2. ↑ Sanders usually wins both the Democratic Party and Vermont Progressive Party primaries, though he declines their endorsements.[24]
  3. ↑ Amlie won on the Republican Party line in the 1931 special, but lost the 1932 Republican primary, and won on the Wisconsin Progressive Party line in 1934. In 1940, Amlie joined the Democratic Party as a "Roosevelt Democrat", but lost his election.[121]: 231 

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Barkan, Ross (January 30, 2020). "Why American Socialism Failed—and How It Could Prevail Today". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Isserman, Maurice (November 8, 2018). "Socialists in the House: A 100-Year History from Victor Berger to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez". Archived from the original on September 7, 2020.
  3. ↑ Wills, Matthew (August 13, 2018). "The Return of Socialism". JSTOR Daily. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019.
  4. ↑ Dreier, Peter (December 11, 2020). "The Number Of Democratic Socialists In The House Will Soon Double. But The Movement Scored Its Biggest Victories Down Ballot". Talking Points Memo. There are currently 71 DSA members holding public office. This year, one was defeated for reelection and two did not run for reelection. Another 33 DSAers were elected this year for the first time, bringing the total to 101 when the new winners take office in January. This is greater than at any time since about 1912, when the Socialist Party had a strong foothold in both urban and rural America.
  5. 1 2 3 Isserman, Maurice (January 11, 2021). "Congress Now Has More Socialists Than Ever Before in U.S. History". In These Times. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. While Dellums and Owens were supportive of DSA, knowledge of their membership in an organization that at the time counted only a few thousand members was mostly left-wing insider baseball. Relatively few of their constituents had likely ever heard of DSA. Not so for the socialists in Congress today, in part because the organization itself has grown a dozen-fold in recent years, recently surpassing 80,000 members. The new socialists' organizational credentials are regularly cited by friends and foes alike ("Democratic socialists salivate over current, future New York state gains," Fox News reported with its usual taste and balance after last November's election.)
  6. ↑ Hernandez, Kristian (November 17, 2022). "Democrats Can't Be Counted On to Stop the MAGA Right, So Socialists Are Stepping Up". In These Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. In the House, the entire Squad was re-elected, which includes DSA members and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.). They will be joined next year Summer Lee, who won in Pennsylvania. As a result, the next Congress will include more socialists than at any point in U.S. history.
  7. ↑ "Democratic Socialist Summer Lee's Victory in Penn. Gives Progressives a Boost in House". Democracy Now!. November 9, 2022. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022.
  8. 1 2 Aronoff, Kate (August 9, 2018). "Why the Democratic Socialists of America Won't Stop Growing". In These Times. Retrieved August 30, 2026. I didn't know I was a democratic socialist when I decided to run, and I didn't know that this group existed," says Summer Lee. "I just knew that these policies are policies that we need. When you go to black communities, we really are more inclined to socialism. We don't always have that language in our communities, but we know that these policies are what's needed for our communities.
  9. ↑ "NPC Statement on 2018 Elections". dsausa.org. Democratic Socialists of America. November 7, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  10. ↑ Mostern, Kenny (June 2, 2018). "Pittsburgh DSA's Field Operation Secures Two Major Electoral Victories". Democratic Socialists of America. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Pennsylvania Primary Election Results: State Legislature". WTAE-TV. May 16, 2018. Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  12. 1 2 Barkan, Ross. "Purge at DSA: Why are Activists Trying to Expel Representative Bowman?". The Nation. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021.
  13. ↑ Whitford, Emma (May 22, 2019). "The Democratic Socialists of America Helped Elect Them. Now What?". In These Times. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  14. ↑ Day, Meagan (August 7, 2020). "Cori Bush on How She Took On the Political Establishment and Won". Jacobin. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020.
  15. ↑ Taylor, Astra (June 17, 2020). "A New Group of Leftist Primary Challengers Campaign Through Protests and the Coronavirus". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020.
  16. ↑ "What Jamaal Bowman's Loss Means for the Left". The New York Times. June 26, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Bowman Makes Amends With Democratic Socialists After Rift Over Israel". The New York Times. June 10, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Endorsed Candidates – NYC Democratic Socialists of America". socialists.nyc. February 1, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  19. ↑ Yang, Maya (August 26, 2026). "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rejoins DSA after membership lapse of seven years". The Guardian. Retrieved September 8, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Ocasio-Cortez Loses the Democratic Socialists' Endorsement Over Israel". The New York Times. July 11, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  21. ↑ "New York's 14th Congressional District election, 2022". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Bernie Sanders confirms presidential run and damns America's inequities". The Guardian. Associated Press. April 30, 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. The self-described 'democratic socialist' enters the race as a robust liberal alternative ...
  23. ↑ Matthews, Dylan (November 20, 2015). "A leading socialist explains what Bernie Sanders's socialism gets right — and wrong". Vox Media. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015.
  24. 1 2 Inskeep, Steve (November 6, 2015). "Bernie Sanders On Being Jewish And A Democratic Socialist". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015.
  25. 1 2 Judis, John (November 1976). "Our Democracy Is More Symbolic Than Real: An Interview With Ron Dellums". Jacobin. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022.
  26. 1 2 Valentine, Paul (March 24, 1979). "The Coming Out Of U.S. Socialists". Washington Post.
  27. ↑ Margolis, Jon (March 14, 1983). "Bernie of Burlington". The New Republic. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015.
  28. 1 2 Greenberg, David (January 3, 2019). "Socialists Are No Strangers to Congress". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019.
  29. ↑ Haig v. Agee, 453 U.S. 280 (1981), at 302
  30. ↑ "Foreign Relations: Bad Ammunition". TIME Magazine. April 12, 1948. Archived from the original on February 1, 2011.
  31. ↑ "PAGÁN, Bolívar". US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. December 5, 1939. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  32. ↑ Serby, Benjamin (December 20, 2018). "New York's Last Socialist Congressperson". Jacobin. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Vito Marcantonio, Ethnic Populist". State University of New York Press. Retrieved March 26, 2022. further to the left with a domestic political agenda roughly parallel to that the Communist Party (CP).
  34. ↑ "Vito Marcantonio". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Archived from the original on October 15, 2004. Retrieved March 8, 2022. Congressman Marcantonio was the subject of an FBI security matter investigation during the 1940s and 1950s in view of his extensive affiliation with members of the Communist Party and known communist front groups.-->
  35. ↑ Fernández, Tomás; Tamaro, Elena (2004). "Biografía de Santiago Iglesias Pantín". Biografías y Vidas. Barcelona, Spain: Editorial Biografías y Vidas. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Victor L. Berger | Encyclopedia of Milwaukee". emke.uwm.edu. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  37. 1 2 Rogoff, Harry (1930). An East Side Epic: The Life and Work of Meyer London. New York: Vanguard Press.
  38. ↑ Feuerlicht, Roberta Strauss (1983). The Fate of the Jews: A People Torn between Israeli Power and Jewish Ethics. New York: Times Books.
  39. 1 2 3 Eddy, Allen (December 8, 1948). "Biographical Notes". New York State Journal. Reprinted in George R. Lunn: A Memorial, 1949, p. 10–13
  40. ↑ Novak, Matt (May 29, 2013). "Milwaukee's Future: Predictions from 1900". Gizmodo. Retrieved September 1, 2026. Social Revolution! It's got to come. You can't get away from it. It's either coming or we will have slavery.
  41. ↑ Bashford, Robert McKee (1878). "The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin: comprising the constitutions of the United States and of the state of Wisconsin, Jefferson's manual, forms and laws for the regulation of business; also, lists and tables for reference, etc. Seventeenth Annual Edition 1878".
  42. ↑ Tuchinsky, Adam (2009). Horace Greeley's New-York Tribune: Civil War–Era Socialism and the Crisis of Free Labor. Cornell University Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-8014-4667-2. JSTOR 10.7591/j.ctt7zfzw.
  43. ↑ Tuchinsky, Adam-Max (2005). "'The Bourgeoisie Will Fall and Fall Forever': The New-York Tribune, the 1848 French Revolution, and American Social Democratic Discourse". Journal of American History. 92 (2): 470–497. doi:10.2307/3659275. To Greeley and other socialists, private property was a cause of, and a solution to, the problem of wage exploitation—labor needed to "command capital." After the decline of Fourierism, he began an eclectic search for mutualist schemes that could elevate the position and power of labor in the market.
  44. ↑ Estabrook, Arthur (August 29, 2017). "The Family History of Robert Owen". Indiana Magazine of History.
  45. ↑ Rabb, Chris (May 23, 2026). "Chris Rabb: "Who Can Better Understand the Plight of Palestinians Than African Americans?"". Current Affairs (Interview). Interviewed by Katie Halper. Retrieved September 1, 2026. I'm running as a democratic socialist.
  46. ↑ Gedeon, Joseph (May 20, 2026). "Progressive Chris Rabb wins closely watched Democratic primary in Pennsylvania: 'We are indomitable'". The Guardian. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  47. ↑ "Claire Valdez for Congress". Claire Valdez for Congress. Retrieved September 1, 2026. I'm an Assemblymember, union organizer and proud democratic socialist running for Congress to deliver for the working class.
  48. 1 2 3 "Our Endorsed Candidates". NYC-DSA. February 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  49. 1 2 3 Lawther, Fran; Mackey, Robert; Campbell, Lucy; Yang, Maya; Ho, Vivian (June 23, 2026). "New York primaries: three Mamdani allies clinch Democratic nominations and Kennedy heir loses to self-confessed 'nerd' - as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
  50. ↑ Lander, Brad (2016). "Why I'm a Brooklyn Jewish Democratic Socialist … for Hillary".
  51. ↑ Martínez, A (July 2, 2026). "The rise of democratic socialists and what it means for the party". NPR. What we mean by democratic socialism is extending democracy into more aspects of our lives. And, you know, this is an opportunity to do that. But again, it's a big party. And if you like that label, great, go with it. If you want to think of yourselves as a progressive or a member of the Working Families Party, as I do, also great.
  52. ↑ Kornbluh, Jacob (April 2, 2025). "Who would protect New York Jews better? Cuomo and Lander trade attacks on the campaign trail". The Forward.
  53. ↑ Avila Chevalier, Darializa (January 21, 2026). "In Harlem, a Democratic Socialist Takes On the Dem Machine". Jacobin (Interview). Interviewed by Meagan Day. Retrieved September 1, 2026. I came to democratic socialism through my organizing work, as well as through study and reading in undergrad, in graduate work, and just in my free time.
  54. ↑ Kiros, Melat (May 18, 2026). "Melat Kiros says she'll bring change, lower costs in bid for Congressional District 1 seat". Colorado Public Radio (Interview). Interviewed by Ryan Warner. Retrieved September 1, 2026. For me, socialism is about making it clear: we have basic needs.
  55. ↑ Moore, Elena (July 1, 2026). "Democratic socialist Melat Kiros poised to become the first Gen Z woman in Congress". NPR. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  56. ↑ McKinney, Donavan (August 14, 2026). ""Mop Up Michigan": Donavan McKinney on Democratic Socialism, Corporate Money & His Primary Upset". Democracy Now! (Interview). Interviewed by Amy Goodman. Retrieved September 1, 2026. And so, democratic socialism, to me, is, and how I define politics, is the redistribution of resources.
  57. ↑ Kamisar, Ben (August 5, 2026). "Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar loses his primary to a progressive challenger in Michigan". NBC News. Retrieved August 5, 2026.
  58. ↑ Ahlman, Austin; Grim, Ryan (March 1, 2022). "In Texas Primary, Democratic Socialist Greg Casar Prevails With Wide Margin". The Intercept. Archived from the original on March 2, 2022.
  59. 1 2 Bova, Gus (June 6, 2022). "Greg Casar: A Progressive South Star". Texas Observer. Retrieved August 30, 2026. Casar, who joined the organization in 2017, told me he's unsure whether he's still a member; asked whether he identifies as a democratic socialist, he equivocated: "That's not my organizing principle. … My core identity has always been movement organizer and immigrant rights organizer."
  60. ↑ Sanders, Austin (February 11, 2022). "Greg Casar, DSA, and Palestine: Will It Matter?". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  61. ↑ "Lee, Barbara J. (1946 – ) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed". www.blackpast.org. March 16, 2008. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  62. ↑ "A Legacy of Activism: Behind Fury, Black Panthers Laid Course for Social Programs WILLIAM BRAND & CECILY BURT / Oakland Tribune 8oct2006". Mindfully.org. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  63. ↑ Wright, Austin (July 30, 2017). "How Barbara Lee Became An Army of One". POLITICO Magazine. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  64. ↑ "Rep. Bobby Rush to Revisit Black Panther History This Week". NBC Chicago. October 18, 2016.
  65. ↑ "Bobby L. Rush". The Wall Street Journal.
  66. ↑ Almanac of American Politics. National Journal Group. 1983. ISBN 9780892340316.
  67. ↑ Cowan, Paul S. (November 4, 1960). "Rep. Meyer, Political Pariah, Presents Conservative Vermont With Liberal Ideas for Debate". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved September 1, 2026. We need progressives who will stand up and fight for a program suited to the needs of a new age.
  68. ↑ "L.U.P. History," The Official Website Of The Liberty Union Party – Vermont
  69. 1 2 Gavigan, Ian Noah (Winter 2021). "Read All Over" (PDF). Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. 88 (1): 56–84. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  70. ↑ "Socialism Is on a Winning Streak". The Nation. May 18, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
  71. ↑ "Delegates Singing 'Internationale' At Opening Convention Session" (PDF). Socialist Call. Socialist Party of America. May 30, 1936. p. 1. The new National Executive Committee chosen to lead the party until the next convention, two years hence, includes eight former members: Norman Thomas, Daniel W. Hoan, Darlington Hoopes, Devere Allen, Franz Daniels, Maynard Krueger, Albert Sprague Coolidge and Powers Hapgood. The three new committee members are Max Raskin of Milwaukee, George Rhodes of Reading and Max Delson of New York.
  72. ↑ Ohm, Howard F.; Bryhan, Leone G., eds. The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1937 Madison: Democrat Printing Company, State Printer, 1937; pp. vii–viii, 53, 360, 432, 542, 543, 544, 551–552
  73. 1 2 Klehr, Harvey (1984). The Heyday of American Communism: The Depression Decade. Basic Books.
  74. ↑ TEIGAN, Henry George
  75. ↑ Berman, Hy; Weiner, Jay (2019). ""Rudy, You're Full of Shit"". Professor Berman: The Last Lecture of Minnesota's Greatest Public Historian. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. p. 114. doi:10.5749/j.ctvr33cx5.9. ISBN 978-1-5179-0106-6.
  76. ↑ "Bioguide Search".
  77. ↑ Haynes, John Earl (1984). Dubious Alliance: The Making of Minnesota's DFL Party. U of Minnesota Press. ISBN 9780816613243.
  78. 1 2 Scorich, Jason. "Bernard, John Toussaint (1893–1983)". MNopedia. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  79. ↑ Voorhis, Jerry (1947). Confessions of a Congressman. The Country Life Press.
  80. 1 2 Gellman, Irwin (1999). The Contender. The Free Press. ISBN 978-1-4165-7255-8.
  81. ↑ Bullock, Paul (1978). Jerry Voorhis: The Idealist as Politician. Vantage Press, Inc. ISBN 978-0-533-03120-7.
  82. ↑ "Bone, Homer Truett (1883–1970)".
  83. ↑ "Our Campaigns – Candidate – Freeman Knowles".
  84. ↑ "Our Campaigns – Candidate – Haldor Erickson Boen".
  85. ↑ "Our Campaigns – ND At-Large Race – Nov 06, 1906".
  86. ↑ Sotomayor, Marianna (September 3, 2022). "Maxwell Frost is figuring out how to be Gen Z's likely first congressman". The Washington Post. He wishes Republicans "good luck" with trying to paint him as a socialist, saying, "My family fled that."
  87. ↑ Bohannon, Molly. "Congressman Leaves Democratic Socialists Of America For Promoting Pro-Palestinian Rally After Hamas Attack". Forbes. Retrieved October 17, 2023. A spokesperson for the Detroit chapter of DSA told Forbes in a statement that Thanedar's "views are not—and have never been—representative of Detroit DSA." Thanedar was expelled from the chapter last month "due to his support of the far right, violent, Islamophobic Modi regime in India," the spokesperson said.
  88. ↑ Neavling, Steve (October 13, 2023). "Thanedar was a harsh critic of Israel before becoming an outspoken defender". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved October 17, 2023. The Detroit chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America fired back at Thanedar, saying he can't renounce his membership because he was removed from the local group on Sept. 17.
  89. ↑ Burgis, Ben (October 13, 2023). "The Media Is Smearing the Democratic Socialists of America on Palestine". Jacobin. For reasons known only to himself, he joined DSA — anyone can join the organization. [....] Thanedar personally escorted Prime Minister Modi to Congress for the address. Unsurprisingly, Thanedar's local branch of DSA voted to expel him from the organization in September.
  90. ↑ "Shri Thanedar quits Democratic Socialists for failing to denounce Hamas attacks". Detroit Free Press. October 11, 2023.
  91. ↑ Hess, Abigail (November 6, 2018). "Meet Ayanna Pressley, who is on track to become Massachusetts' first black Congresswoman". CNBC. Archived from the original on September 5, 2018. Notably, she's not a political rookie, and she does not identify as a democratic socialist.
  92. ↑ Lach, Eric (September 5, 2018). "Ayanna Pressley's Upset Win and Generational Change in the Democratic Party". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on September 5, 2018. Pressley wasn't putting herself forward as a democratic socialist like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who successfully challenged the New York congressman Joe Crowley from the left.
  93. ↑ McCarthy, Tom (July 17, 2019). "Trump rally crowd chants 'send her back' after president attacks Ilhan Omar". The Guardian.
  94. ↑ ""She's an American-hating socialist": Trump attacks Rep. Ilhan Omar in her district". The Washington Post. October 11, 2019.
  95. ↑ Bowden, John (October 10, 2019). "Trump attacks Omar as 'America-hating socialist' at Minnesota rally". The Hill.
  96. ↑ "President Trump on Representative Omar". C-SPAN. October 10, 2019.
  97. ↑ Alberta, Tim (March 8, 2019). "The Democrats' Dilemma". Politico. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Omar does not openly identify as a democratic socialist like Tlaib and Ocasio-Cortez
  98. ↑ "August National Political Committee newsletter — Courage and anger". National Political Committee of the Democratic Socialists of America. August 20, 2020. Archived from the original on August 24, 2020.
  99. ↑ Rosen, Armin (July 27, 2020). "Biden VP Favorite Karen Bass' Journey From the Radical Fringe". Tablet. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  100. ↑ Shaw, Adam (August 4, 2020). "Karen Bass faces down past as questions mount over Cuba, Scientology, Nation of Islam events". Fox News.
  101. ↑ Gibbons, Chip (August 11, 2020). "The Redbaiting of Rep. Karen Bass Is Absurd".
  102. ↑ Kammer, Jerry (October 2009). "Raul Grijalva: From Chicano Radical to Congressman". Center for Immigration Studies. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  103. ↑ Armando Navarro, La Raza Unida Party, Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2000, p. 204.
  104. ↑ Muwakkil, Salim (July 16, 2019). "In 2008, Democratic Socialists Endorsed Him. Now, a DSA Member Is Primarying Him". In These Times. Retrieved September 1, 2026. Davis is perhaps as progressive as any member of Congress and has been endorsed by CDSA in the past.
  105. ↑ "March Update". New Party. Archived from the original on February 2, 1999. The Illinois New Party is working intensively on Willie Delgado's state representative campaign. Delgado is part of an emerging Latino network in Chicago. We're also backing Danny Davis in a Congressional race, Barack Obama for state representative, and judicial candidate Patricia Martin. In addition to the electoral work, the NP in Chicago is supporting a local living wage campaign and an effort to prevent the placement of a waste site on the West Side.
  106. ↑ "Chicago DSA endorsements in the March 19th primary election". New Ground. No. 45 (Mar–Apr 1996). Chicago chapter of Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. And Danny Davis is certainly not foreign to Chicago DSA. From the very beginning, he has always been willing to help: appearing as a speaker with Michael Harrington, serving as a Master of Ceremonies without peer at the annual Debs – Thomas – Harrington Dinner.
  107. ↑ Muwakkil, Salim (July 16, 2019). "In 2008, Democratic Socialists Endorsed Him. Now, a DSA Member Is Primarying Him". In These Times. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020.
  108. ↑ Aikerson, Skyler (June 22, 2022). ""It's Time for Generational Change": Why Progressive Challenger Kina Collins Is Taking on a 25-Year Incumbent". In These Times. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022.
  109. ↑ Kleniewski, Nancy (November 1980). "Socialists in State Houses". Democratic Left. Vol. VIII, no. 9. pp. 4–5. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  110. ↑ Fleischman, Harry (January 1983). "On The Left". Democratic Left. Vol. XI, no. 1. p. 14. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  111. ↑ Dick, Jason (October 22, 2013). "Major Owens, the 'Rapping Rep,' Dies at 77". Roll Call. Retrieved September 1, 2026. I am a liberal, I am a progressive, all of those things that people seem to shrink away from.
  112. ↑ Borenstein, Marsha (November 18, 2013). "Major R. Owens, the People's Congressman (1936–2013)". Democratic Left. Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. I was DSA's liaison to Owens' congressional office in Brooklyn. I wrote and called his office when we wanted him to speak at one of our events. He never turned us down. Having once paid dues he believed himself to be a lifetime member of DSA and never let me forget my affiliation with the organization, interrupting me from time to time when I said something that surprised him, with "Is that the official position of DSA?"
  113. ↑ "After almost three years of negotiations..." Democratic Left. X (4): 6. April 1982. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  114. ↑ Fritz, Sara (January 12, 1997). "David Bonior". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 1, 2026. But I've had a progressive record here . . . .
  115. ↑ Lessenberry, Jack (September 15, 1999). "Keepin' on with Newt gone". Metro Times. Retrieved September 1, 2026. He saw himself – still sees himself – as a progressive in the mold of the hero who died two months before he was born, Franklin D. Roosevelt.
  116. ↑ "DSA PAC 1996 Endorsements" (PDF). Democratic Left. No. Raising the Rose Lantern: The Socialist International Comes to the United States (July/August 1996). Democratic Socialists of America. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 29, 2019.
  117. ↑ Green, David (March 2015). "DSA Hosts Book Signing Event for Bonior Memoir". Metro Detroit chapter of Democratic Socialists of America. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 29, 2018. Rep. Bonior and his wife Judy are longtime DSA members. They received the Douglass-Debs Award from Detroit DSA in 2003. Rep. Bonior was a co-host for DSA-PAC's successful fundraiser for Bernie Sanders in 2006. It was a pleasure for Detroit DSA to welcome David Bonior home for this event.
  118. ↑ McFadden, Robert D. (July 30, 2018). "Ron Dellums, 82, Dies; Unrelenting in Congress, He Upheld Left's Ideals". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  119. ↑ "Son of a Cowboy Philosopher". The Volunteer For Liberty (in Spanish). Barcelona. April 2, 1938. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  120. ↑ Pedersen, Vernon (April 8, 2010). "Terminal Hearing: The House Committee on Un-American Activities and the Death of Jerry J. O'Connell". C-SPAN. Retrieved December 10, 2010. LATER IN HIS TESTIMONY, O'CONNELL GOT INTO A LENGTHY ARGUMENT THAT CENTERED AROUND O'CONNELL'S REFUSAL TO ADMIT THAT HE WAS A COMMUNIST. DESPITE THE TESTIMONY OF SEVEN FORMER PARTY MEMBERS IDENTIFYING HIM AS SUCH. O'CONNELL INSISTED NO MATTER WHAT HE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE SUBJECT, HE HAD NO PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE AFFILIATION AND HE IMPLIED WOULD NOT CONSIDER THE ALLEGATION VALID UNLESS HE HIMSELF CONFESSED.
  121. 1 2 3 Kasparek, Jonathan (2006). Fighting Son: A Biography of Philip F. La Follette. Wisconsin Historical Society. ISBN 978-0-87020-353-4.
  122. ↑ Lovin, Hugh T. (Autumn 1978). "The Ohio "Farmer-Labor" Movement in the 1930s". Ohio History. 87 (4): 419–437.
  123. 1 2 Zinn, Howard (1969). LaGuardia in Congress. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-7617-4.
  124. 1 2 3 4 Kessner, Thomas (1989). Fiorello H. LaGuardia and the Making of Modern New York. McGraw Hill Education. ISBN 0-07-034244-X.
  125. ↑ Daniel Marrone, "Fiorello H. La Guardia: Mayor, Statesman, and Humanitarian." International Journal of the Humanities 8.3 (2010).
  126. ↑ Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections (2 ed.). Congressional Quarterly. 1985. ISBN 9780871873392.
  127. ↑ "Demonstration Yesterday on Capitol Steps to lift Spanish Embargo". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane. January 10, 1939. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  128. ↑ Thelen, David Paul (1964). The Early Life of Robert M. La Follette, 1855-1884. University of Wisconsin–Madison.
    • Thelen, David P. Robert M. La Follette and the insurgent spirit (1976) online
    • Thelen, David Paul. The new citizenship: Origins of progressivism in Wisconsin, 1885–1900 (U of Missouri Press, 1972) online.
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