Thirteen self-described moderate Democrats are attempting to pull their party back from the brink of open socialism after a slate of Democratic Socialists of Americabacked candidates scored primary victories in key New York congressional races.
According to The Post Millennial, the lawmakers have rallied behind a new centrist platform, the Promise to America, in direct response to the growing influence of the DSA and its ally, socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The initiative is framed as a line in the sand against the partys radical wing, which has increasingly embraced policies that undermine law enforcement, border security, and American exceptionalism.
Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York is among the 13 Democrats who have signed onto the pledge, which explicitly commits candidates to capitalism, fiscal restraint, secure borders, and unapologetic patriotism. The pledge states that the Democrats are "capitalist, not socialist," want "safety, not lawlessness," and want to see "growth, competition, and broad prosperity."
Suozzi, who has often positioned himself as a centrist in a party drifting leftward, warned that the extremes on both sides are highly organized and politically aggressive. Were seeing a lot of results from the country from the far left and the far right, and theyre organized. I mean, you have to give them credit, Suozzi said, per the Washington Post. But that kind of campaign and that type of ideology is not going to play with the people in our districts.
Appearing on Fox & Friends, Suozzi underscored that the initiative is a direct pushback against the far-lefts dominance in Democratic primaries. "You know there are certain things that I believe in that are not being reflected in the current environment, especially with some of these races on Tuesday. As we said in our pledge... we're for capitalism, not socialism. We're for safety, not lawlessness. We're proud of America, not ashamed of America and we need to be promoting those things."
Other moderate Democrats echoed his concerns, warning that the partys image is being hijacked by activists who reject basic American institutions. They should not be the face of our party, said Jessica Killin, a moderate Democrat running in a Colorado swing district. We need to be organized and clear in our vision.
Despite still being a minority within the party, DSA-aligned candidates have moved from the fringe into real electoral viability, particularly in deep-blue enclaves. Mamdani is a member of the DSA, and the three primary candidates who won on TuesdayDarializa Avila Chevalier, Claire Valdez, and Brad Landerrepresent the latest wave of openly socialist Democrats.
Avila Chevalier has gone even further than most, previously calling for the abolition of prisons, police, and borders, and boasting that she wiped her hands on the American flag instead of using napkins. Such rhetoric stands in stark contrast to the Promise to America signatories, who are attempting to reassure voters that at least some Democrats still respect the rule of law, national sovereignty, and the flag.
The group backing the centrist initiative includes Reps. Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan, Adam Gray of California, Susie Lee of Nevada, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Laura Gillen of New York, Don Davis of North Carolina, Janelle Bynum of Oregon, and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas. They are joined by candidates Marlene Galn-Woods in Arizona, Jamie Ager and Paul Barringer in North Carolina, and Bobby Pulido in Texas, all of whom are betting that voters prefer moderation over ideological crusades.
Suozzi made clear that his coalition rejects both the hard-left socialism that has gained traction in urban Democrat strongholds and the caricatured image of MAGA used by progressives to smear conservatives and President Trumps supporters. We disagree with MAGA. We disagree with socialists, Suozzi added. We dont want this extremism. We want mainstream."
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