Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More
Continue in Browser
Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts.
Please enter a valid zipcode.
Save
Is the age of President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement forcing the Democratic Party to shift toward new energy with voters backing younger, socialist, and progressive candidates compared to experienced, established Democratic leaders?
Some political experts tell Spectrum News 1 “yes.”
“Party insiders are not winning,” said Jack O’Donnell, managing partner of O’Donnell and Associates. “In many places, they’re a cautionary tale for voters.”
As candidates and voters head into the general election, there’s an undeniable wave that appears to be happening in the Democratic Party.
O’Donnell says it’s bigger than voters not lining up with the priorities of Trump.
“I think Democrats want change,” said O’Donnell. “It doesn’t mean that they just don’t like Trump. It means that they want new Democrats and new energy. Increasingly, it seems like they want louder and more diverse voices. I think you see that in the results.”
Results from some Democratic primary races show there’s a new younger, more diverse Democratic candidate that’s emerging that leans more toward socialist and progressive ideas including economic equality, universal healthcare and childcare and universal social goods.
In upstate New York, the primary race in the 128th state Assembly District district highlights this. Maurice “Mo” Brown, an Onondaga County legislator, is leading longtime Democratic Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, who was first elected to New York’s lower chamber in 1998. The race is still too close to call.
“You saw Brown with similar outside [Democratic Socialist of America], Working Families support,” said O’Donnell. “It was about shoe leather rather and knocking on doors versus this is what my record is in government.”
“My job was to get the message out, was to show that there are people within the Democratic Party that believe housing is a human right,” said Brown.
On Monday, a spokesperson for Magnarelli declined to comment to Spectrum News 1 until the results are finalized, which are anticipated to be released on Tuesday following a scan of remaining valid ballots.
Brown, however, tells Spectrum News 1 while the race is close, he’s now confident there are people who believe in his platform.
“We had record high turnout on both sides,” said Brown. “So, it’s definitely not a mandate, but the notion in Central New York has been that you can only be a corporate Democrat. You can only be this one type of Democrat, and no we are a diverse group.”
But can further left-leaning Democrats ride this wave and energy not only into November but beyond?
Jonathan Parent, associate professor of political science at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, says some of this can be attributed to younger, Gen Z and Millennial voters who are more open-minded to diverse, socialism, and progressive candidates compared to older voters.
“Going back all the way to [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s] victory against [Joe] Crowley in the primary,” said Parent. “That was a long-serving older white man who was challenged by this young Latina who really did represent the actual diversity of the district that she represents.”
Parent also points out in many of the Democratic primary races, the candidates didn’t differ a lot on their policies.
“The difference is more style than policy substance, and I think that matters,” he said. “I think that’s a reflection of where our politics is right now. Policy is obviously important, but style and how these ideas are being presented to the voters and how elected officials interact with voters is just as important.”
Experts say the Democratic Party isn’t alone on seeing voting habits change.
O’Donnell points to New York’s 21st Congressional District Republican primary where an outsider prevailed by a high margin against not only a respected and credentialed assemblymember, but the entire state Republican establishment.
Leave a Reply