Socialist Watch 2026: Early Edition

After a Democratic Socialist almost won the Democrat Party’s presidential nomination in 2016, The Heartland Institute began tracking the electoral success of socialist candidates in local, statewide, and federal races.

In 2018, the first year of Socialist Watch, 86 socialists ran in the midterm elections, under the definition of having “been endorsed by at least one of three organizations: Our Revolution, the Democratic Socialists of America, and/or the Progressive Democrats of America.”

Less than half, about 40 percent, won their race in 2018.

However, this was important because it did bring AOC onto the scene, giving Democratic Socialism mainstream appeal and mass attention.

In 2020, more than 250 socialists ran in the general election with a winning percentage more than double that of 2018. At the time, it seemed like socialism was rising.

But then the number of socialists on the ballot took a nosedive to 132 in 2022 and 51 in 2024.

The 2026 midterm election reversed the recent trend, featuring an all-time high of approximately 280 socialists running for political offices throughout the country.

So far, more than 180 have won, about 40 have lost, and the rest of the races are still being counted.

Since it will take states like California several more days and maybe even weeks before they conclude counting, here are a few early observations about socialists in the 2026 midterms so far.

First, socialist candidates won in states that were considered virtually unwinnable a few years back. In Kansas, a socialist won a seat on the Douglas County Commission. In Arkansas, socialists won races for city councils, a judgeship, and an attorney general office.

Socialists didn’t win at the statewide or federal level in these states, but they are planting seeds and making inroads in places many considered impregnable to socialism.

Second, socialist candidates won federal races in states other than the usual suspects.

From 2018 to 2024, nearly all socialists at the federal level came from a handful of states, namely California and New York. This year, socialists won races for the U.S. House in Colorado and Pennsylvania. They won elections to the U.S. Senate in Michigan and Minnesota.

In the meantime, the socialist madness in California, New York, Vermont, and elsewhere has not subsided. New York has three new socialists in the U.S. House, and many more coming to Albany.

California has a slate of new socialists for positions such as the “Equalization Board” and the “Rent Stabilization Board” in Berkeley. Quick side note: the sheer audacity of bureaucratic boards in California has gone way too far.

Third, more cities will be run by socialists come 2027. Maybe this is the Mamdani effect because the midterms saw socialists win mayorships in the District of Columbia, Los Angeles, Providence, Ann Arbor, and more.

Socialist cities are a threat because they become parasites to state governments and suck as much tax money from state coffers as possible. When state governments are filled with socialists willing to fund the “free” stuff, the charade continues.

This is what is currently happening in New York City, which has a socialist mayor and a legislature sympathetic to the socialist cause, perpetuating the “free” stuff fantasy by borrowing more money that the mayor spends frivolously, and then demanding more money.

Such is the socialist conundrum that cities and states must face. What do you do when you run out of other people’s money? States and cities can’t print money. The best they can do is borrow as much as they can while barely making interest payments before restructuring their debt, repeatedly.

The federal government, however, has the ace in the hole in that it can create/borrow/print money to infinity. At least, theoretically.

In 2016, Democratic Socialists thought they earned the presidential nomination. In 2020, they thought they were on the road to earning it before politics got in their way. In 2024, they were denied the opportunity.

In 2028, Democratic Socialists want the White House, and they might get it if things keep going their way.

Chris Talgo (ctalgo@heartland.org) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.

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