As we approach the 2026 midterm elections, Americans concerned about public safety must confront a growing and dangerous trend: the increasing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America within the Democratic Party.
While the DSA markets itself as a movement for “economic justice,” its platform includes abolishing police, closing prisons, and opening national borders–policies that would dismantle the institutions that keep our communities safe.
For decades, the DSA’s impact on national politics was limited. But according to Brookings, the 2026 cycle has produced a series of high‑profile wins by candidates aligned with or adjacent to the DSA’s far‑left ideology, including victories in swing‑state primaries.
In fact, of 282 DSA-supported candidates in local, state legislative and congressional races, DSA candidates won 43.6% (123) of the time. This surge has alarmed many centrist Democrats who fear that nominating candidates far outside the mainstream could cost the party winnable seats–and more importantly, put public safety at risk.
The DSA’s official platform calls for defunding and ultimately abolishing police and prisons, freeing incarcerated individuals, and eliminating immigration enforcement. These are not fringe ideas–they are central to the organization’s stated goals.
And their influence is spreading.
One of the most consequential Senate races in 2026 is unfolding in Maine, where Democrat Troy Jackson is challenging Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Jackson has earned endorsements from progressive and far‑left activists, and his rhetoric mirrors core DSA positions.
Following a fatal ICE shooting in July, Jackson called ICE “a rogue agency” that “needs to be dismantled because they give us nothing in this country but heartache and racism.” This is not a minor policy disagreement–it is a call to eliminate federal immigration enforcement entirely. Jackson’s campaign messaging is pushing Maine toward the DSA’s anti‑police, anti‑ICE agenda.
Meanwhile, Collins continues to support law enforcement and has urged the Department of Homeland Security to improve safety protocols while maintaining necessary enforcement operations. Polling now shows the Collins and Jackson race a virtual dead heat.
On Oct. 12 The Washington Times reported that Sen. Bernie Sanders, the de facto leader of the socialist movement, campaigned for Jackson while touting a far‑left wish list: free health care, child care, and college for all, funded by massive taxes on billionaires. But he left out the radical far-left positions on police, prisons, and open borders.
In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El‑Sayed–not formally a DSA member but widely viewed as aligned with the far‑left wing–won the Democratic nomination for Senate. Brookings notes that his victory represents one of the most significant wins for the insurgent left in a major swing state.
El‑Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers, a retired FBI agent with a strong law‑and‑order record. The contrast could not be sharper.
El‑Sayed has faced scrutiny for past remarks, including his response to the March attack on Temple Israel in suburban Detroit. While condemning the attack, he added that “hurt people hurt people” and “violence always begets violence”–comments critics say minimize criminal responsibility and echo the DSA’s tendency to blame society rather than offenders.
Rogers, by contrast, has built his career on supporting law enforcement, counterterrorism, and strong public‑safety policies.
The dangers of far‑left sanctuary‑city policies were on full display in a recent ICE shooting in the Bronx. According to an Oct. 12 article in The Washington Times, DHS officials said the suspect–Oscar Bergal–had a long criminal history and was “emboldened” by sanctuary policies that encourage resistance to arrest.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated plainly: “Sanctuary politicians create an environment for criminal activity to thrive.”
Yet New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a DSA‑aligned official, demanded Bergal’s release and insisted: “Immigrant New Yorkers belong here. ICE does not.”
This is the real‑world consequence of the DSA’s anti‑enforcement ideology: criminals shielded, officers endangered, and communities left vulnerable.
The Washington Times recently reported that President Donald Trump is “a victim of his own success on crime rates,” as crime has fallen so sharply that it has faded from the national conversation.
The numbers comparing the 20 months Trump has been in office with the end of 2024 are striking. The homicide rate is down 16% (4.9 → 4.1 per 100,000); violent-crime arrests up 90%; foreign-terrorist arrests up 38%; and all 10 FBI Most Wanted fugitives have been captured.
And an August FBI report shows violent crime fell 9.3% in 2025, the largest one‑year decline since at least 1936, when the bureau began tracking national crime trends.
These gains were achieved through strong policing, robust federal enforcement, and pro‑law‑enforcement policies–the very policies the DSA seeks to dismantle.
If DSA‑aligned candidates gain power, these hard‑won gains could evaporate, returning America to the disastrous “defund and defame the police” era of 2020–2021 when crime was rampant and criminals acted with impunity.
The DSA’s growing influence is not just a political trend–it is a direct threat to public safety. Its platform would eliminate the institutions that protect Americans from violent crime, terrorism, human trafficking, and dangerous drugs.
This November, voters must understand what is at stake.
The safety and security of our country depend on rejecting candidates who embrace abolitionist, anti‑police, and anti‑enforcement policies–and supporting leaders who defend law enforcement, uphold the rule of law, and protect our communities.
Wake up, America. Our future depends on it.
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[ H/T The Daily Signal ]
