Young Democratic voters in Michigan are increasingly drawn to the Democratic Socialists of America, saying the party establishment has failed to address their economic concerns and that the DSA's focus on working people makes it more appealing than mainstream Democrats.
At a "Students v. Billionaires" rally for Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed at Michigan State University and at the Detroit Health Department's annual block party, voters in their late teens and twenties told reporters that rising costs and what they described as the complacency of the Democratic establishment have pushed them toward socialist ideas.
"I feel as if they actually focus on the people," said Shelby Campbell, a Detroit resident and 2023 Wayne State University graduate. "It's not as, I guess, capitalistic or just bought into the system. They want to do good, but they are just another big organization, and I think we just need to get rid of all the political parties and be independent."
The sentiment comes as dozens of Democratic Socialists of America candidates have won primary races this election cycle. In Michigan, state Rep. Donavan McKinney defeated incumbent Rep. Shri Thanedar in a Democratic primary. In New York, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a DSA member, saw three candidates he endorsed — Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Brad Lander — win their Democratic congressional primaries.
The flurry of DSA-backed victories has put Republicans on the offensive and fueled concern among some Democrats about the socialist movement's growing influence within the party.
Noel Otteson, a sophomore at Michigan State University who describes himself as a leftist and anti-capitalist, said he supports El-Sayed for his Medicare for All stance and his promise to get money out of politics.
"I believe in the power of people and democracy over corporations and oligarchs running everything, putting millions upon millions if not billions of dollars into Congress too," Otteson said. "The system is rigged against the average person and is in favor of corporations and special interests and lobbyists."
Otteson said he supports the DSA's proposal to abolish the U.S. Senate, which he called undemocratic. "The way that the Senate is set up is inherently undemocratic," he said. "I'm someone who always, always, prioritizes democracy, and the Senate isn't that."
He argued that some states hold more power than others based on population and said he would advocate for a more parliamentary system similar to those in the United Kingdom and other European countries. He also proposed expanding the House of Representatives.
In Detroit, Jahdante Smith, a Green Party candidate for District 9 of the Michigan House of Representatives, agreed that the Senate should be abolished. "Their stance on abolishing the Senate, I think that is something that can work, only because the Senate is one of the most exclusionary clubs in politics and is also very, very hard to get into," Smith said. He added that having a Republican and a Democrat in the Senate from one state often cancels out, preventing positive action.
Smith said he supports the DSA's anti-ICE agenda and Medicare for All proposals but wants to see the organization achieve tangible results. "I support their ideas, but I love to see them have more traction in getting things actually done," he said. "Policy is something that you have to enact. It's not bills die in Congress, bills die on Capitol Hill every day. You have to be able to get those bills passed through."
Blake, a Michigan State University freshman, said he likes much of what the DSA is pushing but does not support abolishing the Senate. "The standard Democrat has shown themselves to more or less be incapable of standing up for themselves and standing up for what's right," he said. "So I've leaned on, I've decided to take my allegiances with further parties on more extreme sides of leftism because they can do what needs to be done. And I feel like that's a lesson that normal Democrats need to learn."
The comments reflect a broader debate within the Democratic coalition over how far left the party should move to energize young voters, who are expected to play a significant role in the midterm elections. While DSA-backed candidates have energized parts of the base, some party leaders worry that socialist labels could hurt Democrats in competitive swing-state races.
For now, young voters in Michigan appear willing to embrace the DSA's message, even as they acknowledge that turning ideas into legislation remains a challenge.