A majority of swing-state voters surveyed by a conservative grassroots organization hold unfavorable views of socialism as democratic socialist candidates seek congressional gains Tuesday.
Americans for Prosperity found 56% of roughly 10,000 swing voters it contacted viewed socialism unfavorably, six points higher than in September.
“This is not a traditional polling survey,” Emily Seidel, president and CEO of Americans for Prosperity and a senior adviser to AFP Action, told the Daily Signal.
“This is a report of what we hear directly from those Americans,” based on conversations with about 10,000 people in some of the country’s most competitive Senate races, she said.
“The good news is that 56% of the people that we talked to have an unfavorable opinion of socialism,” Seidel said.
“In addition, 59% of these folks see the Democratic Party for what it is in this moment. They see that it is essentially controlled by the extreme left wing of the Democratic Party,” she added.
Several candidates have discussed forming an informal congressional group referred to as “The Bloc,” potentially expanding the left-wing faction beyond the original “Squad.”
The prospective group could include initial Squad Reps. Alexandria Ocasio–Cortez of New York and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan alongside several potential newcomers, The Daily Signal reported.
The DSA has endorsed 10 House candidates this election cycle and 255 candidates and ballot initiatives across federal, state and local races.
New York candidates Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez defeated established Democrats during their primaries and are among the DSA-backed congressional candidates.
Colorado candidate Melat Kiros, Michigan state Rep. Donavan McKinney and Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb are also among the prominent candidates.
Their platforms generally emphasize affordability, expanded government health programs, stronger labor protections and reducing corporate influence, while individual candidates differ on other issues.
Some candidates also support abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and have made U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestinians prominent campaign issues.
The movement has already demonstrated its ability to defeat establishment Democrats in heavily Democratic districts where winning the primary can effectively determine congressional representation.
However, AFP’s findings suggest the socialist label faces considerably more resistance among swing voters being targeted in competitive states.
AFP gathered its October findings through in-person conversations conducted by staff and volunteers rather than through a conventional randomized public-opinion poll.
The organization says its broader October report reflected 81,673 conversations across eight states during the first half of the month.
Between approximately 9,000 and 10,200 voters classified as swing voters answered each of AFP’s questions concerning socialism and the Democratic Party.
AFP defines those voters using i360 propensity modeling rather than party registration, meaning the findings should not be interpreted identically to a scientific statewide poll.
Among swing voters surveyed, unfavorable opinions of the DSA outnumbered favorable opinions by approximately three to one during the first half of October.
Among combined swing and Republican-leaning voters, 69% viewed the DSA unfavorably while just 10% reported a favorable opinion.
That broader group was even more skeptical about the Democratic Party’s direction, with 76% saying they believed it was controlled by the far left.
AFP conducted its voter conversations in competitive Senate states including Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas and Alaska.
Yet the same research contained a warning for Republicans hoping opposition to socialism alone will carry them through Tuesday’s elections.
AFP President and CEO Emily Seidel said voters repeatedly identified affordability and household expenses as their overriding concerns during conversations with canvassers.
“This is a cost of living election,” Seidel said, arguing that voters remain focused on housing, gasoline, groceries and other everyday expenses.
AFP also reported that Democrats currently hold a slight advantage in trust on economic issues among the voters it contacted.
That finding complicates the political picture because voters can simultaneously express skepticism toward socialism while remaining dissatisfied with Republicans over economic conditions.
Seidel consequently argued Republicans must offer specific affordability proposals rather than relying exclusively on warnings about socialist candidates and policies.
She pointed to reducing regulatory barriers to housing construction and increasing domestic energy production as examples of policies AFP believes Republicans should emphasize.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
