What to Know About the Democratic Socialists of America

The Democratic Socialists of America is the largest socialist organization in the U.S., with more than 100,000 members and chapters across all 50 states. Though it endorses candidates who run as Democrats—including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani—the DSA is an independent membership organization, not part of the Democratic Party. The group advocates for democratic socialism centered on shifting economic and political power to working people, though its membership ranges from pragmatic organizers to ideological democratic socialists and Marxists, creating internal debates over strategy and candidate endorsements.