Democratic Socialists plan 2028 presidential endorsement after New York wins

Democratic Socialists of America is surveying all 250 of its chapters this summer on which presidential candidate to back in 2028, with chapter responses due Sept. 15 and a formal vote set for the group’s 2027 convention. The move follows a June 23 sweep in New York that sent DSA-backed candidates Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier out of congressional primaries and added several state legislative wins to the group’s tally.

The push is being driven in part by Zohran Mamdani, elected New York City mayor in 2025 and now a central figure in the city’s democratic socialist movement. After the primary victories, Mamdani said, "the race for 2028 begins now." DSA national co-chair Megan Romer said the organization wants a candidate on the 2028 presidential primary debate stage, a sign that the group sees the next presidential cycle as a test of whether its organizing can shape not just campaigns but the party’s national agenda.

DSA, which describes itself as the largest socialist organization in the United States and a member-driven mass organization, is trying to turn local strength into a national voting bloc. Leaders have said they could move faster than 2027 if the primary calendar requires it, but the chapter survey gives the movement a formal way to measure how far its members want to go in the presidential race and which contender they believe should carry their priorities.

The New York contests also exposed where the left is still divided. The House races in New York’s 7th and 13th congressional districts pitted democratic socialists against more moderate or establishment-aligned Democrats, with fights sharpened by disputes over Israel and Palestine and by outside spending backing the challengers’ opponents. Because the city is heavily Democratic, the winners are strong favorites in November, giving DSA-backed candidates a clearer route from protest politics to governing office.

For Democrats nationally, the results are likely to increase pressure on party leaders to reckon with a louder left flank ahead of 2028. The wins give DSA more leverage inside the coalition, but they also set up friction with incumbents and party officials who have resisted the movement on foreign policy, donor influence, and candidate selection. With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez still a possible 2028 factor and redistricting able to reshape future congressional maps, the New York results now reach well beyond city politics.