A CNN poll conducted by public opinion research firm SSRS found that 34% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults now identify as "democratic socialists," with 15% of all respondents nationwide expressing the same identification. The polling data, shared with Fox News Digital, represents a notable shift in political self-identification among the party's base.
The survey found that those identifying as democratic socialists skew younger and predominantly White. According to CNN's analysis, 59% of democratic socialist-identifying respondents were under age 45, while 57% were White. The poll also found this group tends to be less likely to hold a college degree and more likely to report household incomes below $100,000 annually.
On political engagement, the poll indicated that democratic socialists express higher motivation to vote than other Democrats. Some 66% of those identifying as democratic socialists said they are "extremely motivated" to vote in the current election cycle, compared to 57% for other Democratic-leaning respondents.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive advocacy groups and democratic socialist organizations have celebrated recent electoral victories as evidence of growing mainstream acceptance of their ideology. The Democratic Socialists of America has seen its endorsed candidates win competitive races, including Zohran Mamdani's mayoral victory in New York City and Katie Wilson's election as Seattle mayor.
DSA-backed candidates have also advanced in federal races. Several DSA-endorsed candidates won Democratic primaries for U.S. House seats in New York, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. The organization has endorsed Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate race, where he holds a favored position in polling for the Democratic nomination.
The DSA's platform calls for Medicare-for-all, canceling student loan debt, establishing a 32-hour work week without reductions in pay or benefits, universal rent control, and an immediate end to all deportations with mass amnesty for immigrants. The organization has also proposed eliminating the U.S. Senate and restructuring the executive and judicial branches to be subordinate to Congress.
Fox News Digital reached out to the DSA for comment on this story but did not receive a response by publication time.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican groups have pointed to the poll as evidence of ideological drift within the Democratic Party. National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital that "Americans have every reason to be concerned when one of the most influential forces inside today's Democrat Party is pushing to abolish ICE, defund the police, get rid of prisons, grant mass amnesty to illegal immigrants, eliminate the Senate, pack the Supreme Court, and raise taxes in every way possible."
Marinella added: "Those aren't mainstream ideas, and voters are seeing in real time how the Democrat Party is bending the knee to these radical socialist lunatics."
Natalie Baldassarre, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, said the poll data showed that while "socialism may be taking over the Democrat party," most Americans reject such policies. "The left's embrace of these toxic policies and candidates will come back to haunt them in key races this November," she told Fox News Digital.
What the Numbers Show
The CNN/SSRS survey found 34% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults identify as democratic socialists, compared to 15% of all respondents nationwide. The demographic breakdown shows 59% are under age 45 and 57% are White. Electoral engagement stands at 66% "extremely motivated" to vote among self-identified democratic socialists versus 57% for other Democratic leaners.
Recent DSA electoral wins include mayoral races in America's two largest cities by population, multiple U.S. House primaries across three states, and a competitive U.S. Senate nomination contest in Michigan where the DSA-endorsed candidate holds a polling lead.
The Bottom Line
The poll data represents a measurable shift in how a significant portion of Democratic voters self-identify politically. Republican strategists are framing this as evidence of party radicalization ahead of upcoming elections, while progressive groups point to electoral victories as proof of democratic socialism's growing appeal. How these dynamics play out in November will depend on turnout patterns and whether the coalition of democratic socialists can translate identification numbers into consistent electoral support.