Things are changing. Not slowly, not quietly.
The Democratic Socialists of America are having a moment. In New York. Two DSA members just unseated entrenched establishment figures in House primaries. They beat the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. That is not a trivial feat. In Colorado. Melat Kiros toppled a 30-year veteran incumbent. And let’s not forget Zohran Mamdani. New York’s new mayor. He looks like the real kingmaker now after his endorsed slate swept last month.
This wasn’t overnight. It’s been building for ten years. Since Bernie Sanders decided to say the quiet part out loud in 2016. The DSA spent the decade since then sharpening a brand. They are the “fighters.” The populist economic wing. The left that gets angry for you.
I talked to Megan Romer. National co-chair of the DSA. We broke down where they stand. What they want. The messiness.
The Rage Economy
Q: Why is this working right now? You are winning primaries. In DC. In NY. In Colorado. Why them. Why now?
Megan Romer: Look at the rage. People watch their safety net disintegrate. Wages flatline while prices climb. Living is expensive. People are on edge. They want solutions that actually work. Not platitudes. They want expanded childcare. Medicare for All. Real relief from debt.
Most candidates offer a choice between two bad options. We say “Let’s rethink this together.” That excitement. That is tangible.
Q: But there is a gap. The economic message resonates. The rest does not. Borders. Policing. You get labeled too extreme. Regular voters flinch at “abolish the police.” How do you answer that?
Romer: People take clips. Short videos. Out of context. They ignore the long game. We are not just fixing cracks. We are addressing root causes.
When we talk about the carceral state, the immediate reaction is fear. “You want no police?” No. That is a caricature. We want free college. Free healthcare. Free childcare. Poverty fuels crime. If you eliminate poverty crimes, the system changes. We do not want murderers roaming free. But the current system? It fails everyone.
We acknowledge murder will exist. Sad but true. But voters hear “abolition” and think “danger.” They miss the safety in the prevention.
The Cult of Imperfect
Q: Working-class voters recently leaned Trump. Polls say Democrats seemed too “pie-in-the-sky.” Too extreme on culture. Does that scare you?
Romer: Connection is key. Intent matters. We have “Care Not Cops” programs right now. It is about safety through support, not prosecution for being poor. It is counterintuitive until it works.
Q: There are real concerns though. Darializa Avila just won a huge seat in NYC. She had a bad moment on X. Wiping her hands on a flag because she lacked napkins. Tweets suggesting interracial dating was a bad idea. She deleted her account. Apologized. Said she stays offline now.
Q: Anti-establishment means less vetting. Less control. Will you struggle to find candidates who are sharp on economics but clean on optics?
Romer: We do not manufacture candidates in a lab. No Model UN perfection. No curated resumes. We work with messy humans. Real ones.
Q: White people in interracial relationships is not messy. It’s problematic.
Romer: Agreed. That tweet was bad. Way out there. Maybe a bad breakup. Maybe tweeting too close to the sun. But this is reality. These candidates were not groomed for office since birth. Trump tweeted badly this morning too. It comes with the territory.
The Israel Line
Q: A harder topic. Israel. Your stance borders on obsession for some. Antisemitic for others.
Let’s look at the evidence. Post-Oct 7. The DSA statement called it “not unprovoked” while condemning civilian death. Mamdani called AIPAC “monsters,” citing Gramsci. Melat Kiros, in Colorado, when asked about a firebombing at a Jewish gathering, said she didn’t know the perpetrator’s heart.
Does this look like antisemitism to Jewish voters? Or is it a culture that enables harsh rhetoric?
Romer: We think about it. Constantly. Our position is clear: Israel is perpetrating genocide. People should be angry. It is a genocide. An apartheid state. An open-air camp in Gaza.
We stand against all antisemitism. But we do not defend the State of Israel. Not on any ground. When people are furious, nuance dies. We do not apologize for the diagnosis.
Q: You dropped Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. After she joined a panel on antisemitity. Why pull support for a critic who acts the part?
Romer: Complicated process. It was conditional. We demanded a pledge: no military funding for Israel. Not defense. Not offense. Just zero. She had voted “present” before. Equivocated. We asked for clarity. Like Rashida Tlaib. She finally said yes. Full no on military aid. Pressure worked. She came around.
The S-Word Again
Q: Word is you are running a presidential candidate in 2028?
Romer: Possibly. Bernie changed the game. He gave permission to speak. Broke the dam on the scary S-word.
If we run someone, we force accountability. A voice in the room. Debates. Not just protests outside. Remember when Bernie got other candidates to sign the Medicare For All pledge? That was power. We want that leverage back. We want to win, obviously. But at minimum? We move the needle.
Healthcare. Labor. Union power. Anti-war stance. A democratic socialist voice at the table. Not shouting from the curb.
