Black voters test the socialist left's ceiling

Axios · 10/17/2026, 12:20:07 PM

Black voters may determine whether Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) can build on breakthroughs in the 2026 elections. Why it matters: This year's primaries showed that DSA's path runs through older Black voters who wield enormous influence in Democratic primaries — particularly in the South — but have been slower to embrace insurgent candidates. By the numbers: Black Democrats are more likely to like than dislike leaders who identify as democratic socialists, but nearly two-thirds remain neutral toward them. 21% of Black Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents told Pew Research Center they like such leaders, compared with 11% who dislike them. Another 65% were neutral. Among Black Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, 23% of those ages 18–49 like leaders who identify as democratic socialists, compared with 20% of those 50 and older. State of play: Angie Nixon's upset win in Florida's Democratic U.S. Senate primary made the Black state representative the first DSA member to win a major-party statewide nomination. Her politics blend labor organizing and civil-rights protest: The former union organizer fought voting-rights battles with sit-ins and a bullhorn and opened a bookstore amid Florida's school book bans, hosting Black-history workshops and organizing groups. Her vote share rose in precincts with younger and larger Black populations, an Axios analysis of election results found. Donavan McKinney's Detroit victory also showed a DSA-backed candidate can break through in a center of Black political power. The DSA-endorsed state representative defeated Rep. Shri Thanedar 51.9%-48.1% in Michigan's 13th District, pairing deep Detroit roots and a legislative record with labor and local support. Yes, but: A July Redbox Research poll for A Fight Worth Having found former Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) leading Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) 52%–20% among voters under 35 and 46%–36% among those 35–49. But only 19% of the Black likely-primary electorate in the poll w