In the summer of 2025, the political compass of America’s progressive movement seemed to tilt ever more leftward, with Minneapolis and New York City emerging as twin epicenters of a growing socialist surge. The aftershocks of these cities’ political choices are reverberating far beyond their borders, prompting fierce debate about the future direction of the Democratic Party and the nation itself.
Just last month, Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, clinched victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. According to reporting by the Daily Yonder, Mamdani’s win was powered by a coalition of young, highly educated activists—many of whom, as Vice President JD Vance recently noted in a speech at the Claremont Institute, “live reasonably comfortable lives but see that their elite degrees aren’t really delivering what they expected.” This new breed of activist, Vance argued, represents the future of progressive politics: a party of “highly educated but downwardly mobile elites” unified less by shared ideals than by a mutual disdain for Donald Trump and his supporters.
“What unites Islamists, gender studies majors, socially liberal white urbanites, and Big Pharma lobbyists?” Vance asked rhetorically. “It isn’t the ideas of Thomas Jefferson or even Karl Marx. It’s hatred. They hate the people in this room, they hate the president of the United States, and most of all, they hate the people who voted for him.” (Daily Yonder)
Vance’s criticism didn’t stop there. He lambasted the Democratic Party for what he sees as a lack of a coherent vision or agenda, especially compared to the well-organized conservative blueprint known as Project 2025—a plan developed by the Heritage Foundation to slash government spending and advance a “pro-family,” Christian nationalist agenda. “I’ve heard no such stirring from the Democrats about a ‘Project 2029,’” wrote Claire Carlson, reflecting on Vance’s remarks. While Trump and his allies have made their priorities clear, Democrats, in Vance’s view, have often fallen back on the uninspiring message of being “better than the alternative.”
But the winds may be shifting. Mamdani’s campaign, for example, was anything but generic. Eschewing the usual caution of establishment Democrats, he openly criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza—an issue most mainstream party members have tiptoed around for fear of alienating a key U.S. ally. Mamdani has also championed policies like no-cost child care and universal health care, to be funded by taxing corporations and the wealthiest 1%. His platform has drawn endorsements from progressive heavyweights such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who themselves have been leading a campaign against oligarchy that targets not just Trump, but also the Democratic establishment.
Yet, as Carlson observed, the so-called “radical left” described by Vance is still more myth than reality within the Democratic Party. While figures like Mamdani, Sanders, and Ocasio-Cortez embody some of the change Vance warns about, it remains to be seen whether they can truly organize around a concrete agenda and implement it. The question now is whether Mamdani’s mayoralty will mark the beginning of a new era for progressives—one that offers more than just opposition to Trump.
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, the progressive wave has taken on a distinctly socialist hue. The city, forever changed by the 2020 killing of George Floyd, has become a laboratory for left-wing activism, sometimes with tumultuous results. According to the Washington Examiner, the aftermath of Floyd’s death saw riots that damaged 1,500 businesses and caused $500 million in losses. Mayor Jacob Frey, a centrist Democrat, found himself caught between calls for police reform and demands from activists to abolish the Minneapolis Police Department altogether—a step he refused to take, earning him the ire of protesters and, ultimately, the local party.
In a historic move, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) decided in July 2025 to endorse a candidate for Minneapolis mayor for the first time in 16 years. The endorsement went not to Frey, the incumbent, but to Omar Fateh, a self-professed socialist and state senator since 2021. Fateh, who is backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, supported the 2021 ballot initiative to replace the police department with a Department of Public Safety—a measure that ultimately failed, with 56% of voters against and 44% in favor.
Fateh’s candidacy underscores the DFL’s embrace of a more explicitly socialist direction, one that has the backing of the state party, several city council members, and a number of Fateh’s legislative colleagues. Even if Fateh’s bid falls short, the message is clear: Minneapolis Democrats are signaling a willingness to chart a new course, one that could have ripple effects throughout the national party.
The city’s socialist momentum is hardly limited to Fateh. Robin Wonsley, an independent socialist, sits on the city council, and several DFL council members maintain close ties to the Democratic Socialists of America. Aisha Chugtai, formerly campaign manager for Rep. Ilhan Omar, is another example of the city’s leftward tilt. Omar herself, elected to Congress in 2018, has become a national figure—her district includes parts of Minneapolis, and she is closely allied with Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez. Omar was a driving force behind the “defund the police” movement and, in 2021, pushed for federal funding to experiment with universal basic income, with the aim of transitioning to a nationwide program.
Omar’s influence extends well beyond Minneapolis. In 2024, when Kamala Harris was assembling her presidential ticket, the obvious choice for running mate was Josh Shapiro, the popular governor of Pennsylvania. But, as the Washington Examiner reported, Shapiro was passed over—allegedly due to resistance from socialist elements within the party who objected to his Jewish faith. Instead, Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a move celebrated by the Democratic Socialists of America. “Harris choosing Walz as a running mate has shown the world that DSA and our allies on the left are a force that cannot be ignored,” the DSA declared. Walz, for his part, has been vocal in his support of Omar, once saying, “When I’m having a tough day or I’m out on about mile five of my run and I’m feeling kind of down, and the world is pressing on me, I think ‘Ilhan Omar is a congresswoman.’ And it just brightens you up.”
The Harris-Walz ticket ultimately struggled, with Walz performing poorly in the vice presidential debate against JD Vance and failing to connect with key voter blocs. Some observers argue that the rise of socialism in Minneapolis—and its growing influence on the Democratic Party—helped shape this outcome, for better or worse. As the Washington Examiner concluded, “Minneapolis has laid the groundwork for the rise of socialism in New York City and throughout the rest of the Democratic Party. Minneapolis has dictated the direction of the national Democratic Party, and the consequences will be felt outside the Twin Cities for years to come.”
As both cities continue to redefine the boundaries of progressive politics, the rest of the country is left watching, waiting, and wondering what comes next. The choices made in Minneapolis and New York may well determine the trajectory of the Democratic Party—and perhaps the nation itself—for years to come.
