Opinion

Socialism is only a symptom. Republicans can’t risk ignoring the real problem

New York Democrat Mayor Zohran Mamdani won on affordability, not ideology, and Republicans should take note

By Lee Hartley Carter Fox News

Published June 29, 2026 7:00am EDT

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Hakeem Jeffries pressed on 'you're next' chants from New York socialists

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was asked about a New York crowd chanting "you're next" to an image of him after socialists won primary elections.

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The left isn’t embracing socialism. It’s rejecting the status quo.

The political world woke up after Tuesday’s election asking the same question: Is the Democratic Party lurching toward socialism?

Maybe.

DEMOCRATS' NEW-WAVE SOCIALISTS ARE WINNING PRIMARIES BUT FACE A HARSH REALITY IN GENERAL ELECTIONS

But that’s not the question that matters.

Congressional candidate Claire Valdez, Congressional candidate Brad Lander, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier raise their hands during a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally at King's Theater on June 18, 2026, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The question that matters is this: Why are more voters willing to give socialism a look in the first place?

Because if Republicans answer that question incorrectly, they risk making precisely the same mistake Democrats made in 2016.

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The rise of President Donald Trump bewildered much of the political establishment. Too many observers looked at his supporters and saw only the man. They missed the........

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