A Washington Post-Ipsos survey found 55% of Americans would not consider voting for a democratic socialist for president, even as three-quarters of Democrats said they remain open to supporting one.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A majority of Americans say they would reject a democratic socialist candidate for president, highlighting a significant divide between the broader electorate and Democratic voters as the party considers its direction ahead of the 2028 election.
Fifty-five percent of respondents said they would not consider voting for a presidential candidate who identifies as a democratic socialist, according to a new Washington Post-Ipsos poll. Thirty-nine percent said they would consider supporting such a candidate, while 6% expressed no opinion.
Support was considerably stronger within the Democratic Party. Three-quarters of Democrats said they would be open to voting for a democratic socialist presidential nominee, reflecting the movement’s growing influence among the party’s base.
Republicans and independents were substantially more resistant. Eighty-eight percent of Republicans said they would rule out supporting a democratic socialist, as did 54% of independents.
The findings come as Democrats debate whether moving further left could help the party reclaim the White House in 2028 or create difficulties in a general election. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is widely viewed as a possible presidential contender.
The Democratic Socialists of America says it has more than 120,000 dues-paying members across 220 local chapters. Its policy agenda includes Medicare for All, higher taxes on wealthy Americans, stronger protections for labor unions, universal rent control, free prekindergarten and replacing the Electoral College with a national popular vote.
Americans remain divided over what the term democratic socialism means. Democratic respondents were more likely to associate it with economic equality, expanded public programs and assistance for working Americans. Republicans more frequently connected it with communism, Marxism or increased government control.
Thirty percent of respondents said democratic socialism is similar to communism, while 32% said the two are different. Thirty-six percent said they were uncertain.
Only 15% of Americans said they like political leaders who identify as democratic socialists. Thirty-six percent said they dislike such leaders, while nearly half said they neither like nor dislike them.
Age played a significant role in voters’ willingness to consider a democratic socialist candidate. Forty-six percent of adults younger than 30 said they would be open to voting for one, compared with 36% of people ages 50 to 64 and 33% of those older than 64.
Support also increased with educational attainment. Fifty-one percent of respondents with postgraduate degrees said they would consider voting for a democratic socialist, compared with 44% of those holding bachelor’s degrees, 39% of people with some college education and 32% of those who had not attended college.
The survey found additional differences within the Democratic coalition. White Democrats were approximately twice as likely as Black Democrats to say they like politicians who identify as democratic socialists.
Americans earning more than $100,000 per year were also somewhat more likely than lower-income respondents to say they would consider supporting a democratic socialist presidential candidate.
The results show that democratic socialism has established substantial support within the Democratic Party while remaining unpopular among a majority of the overall electorate. That gap could become increasingly important if a candidate identified with the movement competes for the party’s presidential nomination in 2028.
Ipsos conducted the survey for The Washington Post from July 8 through July 13 among 2,648 U.S. adults. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.
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