Justice Democrats Expected to Nearly Double Their Ranks in Congress

A new group of progressive and democratic socialist candidates is pressing Democrats to move left as the party seeks to regain control of Congress in the Nov. 3 midterms. Several candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America or Justice Democrats have won primaries against established incumbents and are expected to take seats, potentially nearly doubling Justice Democrats’ congressional cohort. They are campaigning on priorities including universal health care, limiting corporate money in politics, stronger climate action and, for some, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Their rise reflects the growing appeal of left-wing politics among some Democratic voters, while setting up possible tensions with party leaders; Republicans have attacked the candidates as socialists, though that warning may have less impact than in the past.