Socialist influence spreads from New York to Wisconsin governor’s race
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The latest wave of socialist victories in Democratic primaries in New York and elsewhere should be a wake-up call for Americans across the country. For years, many people dismissed socialism as a fringe movement within the Democratic Party. Unfortunately this is no longer the case.
The victories of self-described New York socialists Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez are the latest evidence that the socialist movement is no longer a fringe group operating on the margins of the Democratic Party. Socialists are increasingly determining the direction of the Democratic Party, and many voters in progressive parts of the country are willing to embrace it. This should concern every American.
All three candidates were supported by socialist New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose rise has transformed him from a locally elected official into a political kingpin. The results stunned Democratic leaders. Some House Democrats called the outcome an “earthquake” and a “massive defeat” for party leadership, according to Axios. Even moderate Democrats will admit they no longer have control of their party, and so do socialists.
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS ARE NO LONGER ON THE PLANE
The significance of these victories goes beyond New York. Mamdani’s candidates failed to beat the Republicans. They defeated incumbent Democrats and establishment-backed candidates in districts where the primary effectively decided the election. The result will likely add more socialists to Congress and push the Democratic Party even further to the left, even further away from the mainstream of American politics.
Rising far-left New York Democrats Darializa Avila Chevalier, Claire Valdez and Brad Lander are redefining their party. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Voters should be concerned not just with the label, but with the policies that come with it.
The policies advocated by today’s socialist movement will affect the way Americans work, start businesses, save money, and take advantage of economic opportunities. They will fundamentally and permanently transform the American free enterprise system that has made our country the strongest and most prosperous in the world. As a former small business owner, I find this particularly concerning. We don’t help businesses by expanding government, we help them by getting out of the way.
SOCIALISTS LAUNCHED A RADICAL PLATFORM TO Abolish the US SENATE IN ORDER TO FUNDITIONALLY TRANSFORM AMERICA
Lander, for example, supported policies that would significantly restrict independent contracting, limiting opportunities for millions of Americans who value the flexibility and freedom that freelance and gig work bring. Avila Chevalier advocated eliminating right-to-work protections and allowing unions to collect dues directly from workers’ paychecks, including employees who choose not to join the union. Valdez called for using the full weight of the federal government to expand union power and push workers into union membership regardless of whether they want to join.
This alarming trend extends far beyond New York. Seattle voters recently elected Katie Wilson, another socialist candidate with the same ideological priorities. Activists are forming organizations across the country, recruiting candidates, and steadily expanding their influence within Democratic politics.
We now see the trend reaching far beyond the deep blue cities. In my home state of Wisconsin, Francesca Hong, a leading gubernatorial candidate, proudly describes herself as a socialist. His candidacy shows that ideas once limited to a handful of urban districts are now being marketed to voters in battleground states as ways to help determine the country’s future. That’s why it’s so important that we elect Tom Tiffany as governor of Wisconsin in November and prevent someone like Hong from bringing socialism to our doorstep.
CLICK FOR OTHER OPINIONS OF FOX NEWS
For years, many Americans assumed that socialism could gain traction only in a few areas, such as New York City or San Francisco. Recent elections show the opposite. The movement produces candidates, wins primaries, and replaces establishment Democrats with candidates who take on a much broader economic role for government.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
I know voters in my district and across Wisconsin do not want to follow the dangerous path we have seen in many coastal cities, and we must do everything we can to prevent that from happening here. If we don’t put an end to this radical left ideology now, it will come to our neighborhoods from now on.
Americans who value economic opportunity, more options for working Americans, and free enterprise should pay attention. What happened in New York was not an isolated incident. This was another sign that socialism was becoming the determining direction of the Democratic Party’s future.
