Three Candidates Backed by Democratic Socialists Win Primaries in New York and Pennsylvania Districts

Three candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America won Democratic primaries this spring in heavily Democratic districts, Newsweek reported. The winners are Claire Valdez in a Brooklyn and Queens seat, Darializa Avila Chevalier in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, and Chris Rabb in a Philadelphia-based district.

Valdez and Avila Chevalier prevailed on June 23 as part of a slate backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Rabb won his primary in May. The organization currently has two members in the House: New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib. The three primary victories would bring the total to five after the November midterms.

Avila Chevalier defeated Representative Adriano Espaillat, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and is projected to become the first Dominican American woman elected to Congress. Valdez won an open seat vacated by retiring Representative Nydia Velázquez. Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, said the results reflect a decade of organizing.

"There are currently two DSA members in Congress, and this cycle's primary wins alone are on track to roughly double that, with more contested races still ahead before November," he said. The group has also endorsed Melat Kiros in a June 30 primary against Colorado Representative Diana DeGette, Oliver Larkin in an August 18 primary against Florida Representative Jared Moskowitz, and former Representative Cori Bush in an August primary in Missouri.

A Gallup survey conducted in August 2025 found positive views of capitalism at 54 percent, down from 60 percent in 2021.