Poll: Majority of voters fear Democratic Socialists winning elections
Multiple surveys ahead of the midterms have found that Republicans and independent voters are hesitant to embrace the Democratic Socialist wing on the rise in the Democratic Party, while Democrats are more likely to approve of socialism.
As November’s high-stakes midterm elections draw closer, an increasing number of Americans are voicing their concerns over the rise of Democratic Socialism within the Democratic Party and the possibility that some socialist-aligned candidates could win their elections.
An October Center Square Voters’ Voice survey found that 55% of American voters are worried about Democratic Socialists running for office — and the possibility that they may win their elections. While 17% of surveyed voters said that they are not very concerned about Democratic Socialists running campaigns and winning elections, 20% said that they are not at all concerned.
The survey results follow an August Center Square Voters’ Voice poll which found broader discontent with the rise of socialism in the U.S., as Zeale News reported at the time. Nearly two thirds (63%) of voters in August said that they are concerned about the number of self-identified socialists running for office in recent years, including more than one-third (36%) who said that they are “very concerned.”
>> Pollster: 84% of Gen Z Democrats view socialism favorably <<
Other polls have found similar results. According to a New York Times survey published last month, 51% of voters hold an unfavorable view of socialism, compared to only 31% who hold a favorable view. Voters were also twice as likely to vote against a Democratic Socialist candidate (30%) than to vote for one (13%).
An August CBS News poll likewise found that 51% of voters hold an unfavorable view of socialism, with 26% holding a “somewhat positive” opinion of socialism and only 9% holding a “very positive” opinion.
However, both the New York Times and CBS News surveys discovered that there is a wide gap between parties on the issue. Nearly half (45%) of Democratic voters expressed a “very” or “somewhat” favorable view of socialism when asked by the New York Times, as opposed to only 20% who said that they have an unfavorable view. Conversely, only 5% of Republican voters said that they have a favorable view of socialism, compared to 83% with an unfavorable view.
Similarly, CBS News found that 58% of Democrats held a favorable opinion of socialism, while 74% of Republicans held an unfavorable opinion.
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