House Democrats offered sharply different takes on the role of socialism in the party after three far-left candidates swept key races in New York’s primary elections. The new wave of socialist candidates, backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, beat out moderate Democrats, fueling mixed reactions from lawmakers over whether these new ideals will be at the center of the entire Democratic Party.

Divided Party

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said the wins represent a momentum that Democrats should embrace, while Rep. Thomas Suozzi, D-N.Y., distanced himself from the far-left movement, saying he’s a capitalist, not a socialist. Other Democrats, like Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., also expressed concerns about the socialist agenda, saying they believe in capitalism.

The debate comes as New York City’s socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani dominated in the primaries, endorsing three candidates who won their key races by promoting the same socialist agenda Mamdani has in their campaigns. Some Democrats attribute the trend of far-left progressive voting to being popular only in a place like New York, while others see it as a larger movement within the party.

Call for Middle Ground

Rep. Suozzi used economic concerns as an example of needing to find middle ground between extremes in both parties, calling for people to focus on solutions to better the lives of Americans rather than working to dismantle entire systems. ‘They’re saying the whole system sucks, let’s tear it down,’ Suozzi said. ‘I don’t believe that’s the right answer.’ Instead, he proposed understanding and addressing economic insecurity while proposing solutions that will make people’s lives better.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.