As the November midterm elections approach, Democrats in competitive races are increasingly affirming their commitment to capitalism, countering Republican efforts to label them as socialists or communists. These declarations come amid intensified attacks from President Donald Trump and Republican allies, who have sought to portray Democrats as radical leftists aiming to transform the United States into a socialist state.
More than 60 Democratic candidates at the national, state, and local levels—including 10 incumbent members of Congress—have endorsed a pledge organized by a new group called Promise to America, which explicitly states, “we are capitalist, not socialist.” Party strategists note that this is an unusual step. “This is the first time in my 50 years in politics that Democrats have had to explicitly declare their support for capitalism,” said veteran strategist Doug Schoen.
Republicans have seized on the growing prominence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) within some sectors of the party, as well as progressive primary victories, to paint the entire Democratic Party as extremist. At a Republican convention in Dallas last month, Trump warned, “It’s going to be a communist country if they win,” underscoring the party’s use of fear-based messaging against Democrats.
Democratic leaders reject these accusations as unfounded and politically motivated attempts to shift focus away from pressing issues such as the high cost of living, which remains the top concern for many voters. Still, some Democratic strategists acknowledge that the socialist label campaign could influence swing voters in close races. “These attacks could impact enough voters on the margin to potentially affect Democrats negatively in the election,” said Frank Lowenstein, a political consultant and former Obama administration official.
Republicans frequently cite the DSA’s policy proposals—such as calls to “end capitalism,” dismantle policing and prisons, and provide amnesty for undocumented immigrants—as examples of the party’s perceived extremism. However, the Democratic Party as a whole does not endorse these positions.
In some cases, Republican accusations have targeted moderate Democrats. For example, Amish Shah, a former emergency room physician and state legislator in Arizona, has faced criticism from the National Republican Congressional Committee for a 2019 event co-hosted by a DSA chapter, at which he praised Senator Bernie Sanders’s advocacy for government-funded universal healthcare. Shah, regarded as one of the more moderate Democrats in the Arizona legislature and known for occasionally crossing party lines, was depicted in Republican mailers wearing a red suit with a hammer-and-sickle pin, a communist symbol, and was warned against for his so-called “radical socialist agenda.” Shah is currently running in a competitive race against Republican Jay Feely, with control of the House potentially at stake.
As the midterms near, Democrats continue to navigate the challenge of distancing themselves from socialist labels while appealing to a broad range of voters in a polarized political environment.