Midterms coverage: Live results | What to know | Stories around the countryStay connected: NPR Politics Podcast | NPR Politics newsletter | NPR appIn a historic night for the Democratic Socialists of America, a record number of candidates endorsed by the organization and its local chapters were elected to the House of Representatives.The results grow the organization's presence on Capitol Hill, bringing to Congress a bloc of lawmakers who will now look to translate their electoral success into policy wins that push the Democratic Party further to the left.At least five DSA candidates in reliably blue congressional districts have won their races, according to race calls by the Associated Press.They are Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez in New York; Melat Kiros in Colorado; Donavan McKinney in Michigan; and Chris Rabb in Pennsylvania.Their victories follow a fiercely competitive primary cycle, where DSA candidates rode to victory by championing economic populist policies like universal healthcare and childcare, as well as more polarizing stances, such as abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Throughout the primaries, candidates endorsed by the group were unafraid to criticize or break with Democratic leadership, challenging sitting incumbents or competing against establishment picks.That included Kiros, who defeated Rep.
Diana DeGette — a 15-term incumbent and member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus — in Colorado's 1st Congressional District in July.Just days earlier, Chevalier delivered a major upset in New York's 13th Congressional District, narrowly defeating Adriano Espaillat, the influential chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.On top of emphasizing a core value set aimed at bettering the working class, many DSA candidates tapped into voter frustrations with the larger political system.
Candidates swore off campaign donations from corporations and pro-Israel lobbying groups.They fiercely condemned the war in Gaza and called ...