Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez Get Bad News

Socialism continues to generate debate in American politics, but a new national poll shows that a majority of likely voters still have an unfavorable opinion of the ideology.

A New York Times/Siena University poll released Tuesday found that 51% of likely voters viewed socialism unfavorably. That includes 40% who said their opinion was “very unfavorable.”

By comparison, 31% expressed a favorable view of socialism. Another 7% said they had not heard of it, while 10% either did not know or declined to provide an answer.

The findings arrive as politicians who identify with democratic socialism have gained greater visibility and won several Democratic primary contests.

However, the survey also contains an important qualification: respondents were not given definitions of “socialism” or “democratic socialism.” Their answers therefore reflected their own understanding of those political terms.

Most Voters Don’t Identify as Democratic Socialists

While socialism has become increasingly prominent in some Democratic political contests, relatively few likely voters personally embrace the democratic socialist label.

According to the survey, 18% of likely voters described themselves as democratic socialists.

Another 80% said they did not.

The numbers were considerably different among Democratic voters. Thirty-eight percent of self-identified Democrats said they considered themselves democratic socialists, compared with 57% who said they did not.

Among independent voters, 14% identified as democratic socialists.

Those figures illustrate an important distinction between the success of individual candidates in Democratic primaries and the popularity of the ideological label among the broader electorate.

Democratic Socialist Candidates Have Won Key Primaries

The poll comes after several candidates associated with democratic socialism recorded primary victories.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who took office in January, publicly embraced the label during his inaugural address, telling those gathered that he had been elected as a democratic socialist and intended to govern as one.

Candidates supported by the Democratic Socialists of America have also won congressional primaries this year.

Those candidates include Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier in New York, along with Melat Kiros in Colorado.

These victories have helped bring renewed attention to the role democratic socialism could play within Democratic politics.

National polling, however, paints a more complicated picture.

Does the Socialist Label Matter to Voters?

The Times/Siena survey also asked voters whether a Democratic candidate’s identification as a democratic socialist would affect their preference.

Thirty percent said they would rather support a Democrat who does not consider himself or herself a democratic socialist.

Thirteen percent preferred a Democrat who does identify that way.

The largest group, 44%, said the distinction would not matter to them. Another 9% said they would not vote for a Democrat regardless.

The results changed when researchers looked specifically at voters planning to support a Democrat for Congress this fall.

Among those voters, 23% preferred a democratic socialist candidate, while 17% preferred a Democrat who did not identify as one.

A sizable 56% said it did not matter either way.

The findings suggest that while political labels can attract significant attention in national debate, they are not necessarily decisive for every voter.

Younger Voters Are More Likely to Embrace Democratic Socialism

One of the clearest differences in the survey involved age.

Democratic socialism was considerably more common among younger voters than among older Americans.

Among voters ages 18 to 29, 33% identified as democratic socialists.

That fell to 22% among those ages 30 to 44.

Among voters ages 45 to 64, only 14% embraced the label. For voters age 65 and older, the figure was 15%.

The generational difference is substantial.

Roughly one-third of the youngest voters surveyed identified with democratic socialism, compared with about one in seven voters between 45 and 64.

Whether younger Americans maintain those political views as they age cannot be determined from this poll. The results only provide a snapshot of attitudes among different age groups at the time the survey was conducted.

Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani Receive Mixed Ratings

The survey also examined public attitudes toward two politicians prominently associated with democratic socialism.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York was viewed favorably by 30% of likely voters and unfavorably by 41%.

Mamdani received somewhat different numbers. Thirty-eight percent viewed him favorably, while 33% had an unfavorable opinion.

For both politicians, roughly three in 10 respondents either had not heard enough about them or did not provide an opinion.

That leaves a notable portion of the electorate without a firmly stated view of either political figure.

Republicans Highlight Socialism Ahead of the Midterms

Republicans have repeatedly raised socialism as an issue as the country moves toward the 2026 midterm elections.

But the Times/Siena results indicate that fear of socialism or communism is not the leading reason Republican-supporting voters gave for wanting GOP control of Congress.

Among respondents who wanted Republicans to control Congress, 5% cited concerns about socialism or communism as their primary reason.

Thirty percent pointed to policies or political views, while 29% cited opposition to Democrats.

Another 18% pointed to values or competence.

The results indicate that opposition to socialism exists within the Republican coalition, but other considerations were cited more frequently when respondents explained why they wanted Republican congressional control.

What Does the Poll Tell Us About Socialism in America?

Taken together, the findings reveal several different trends.

First, socialism remains unpopular with a majority of likely voters surveyed. Fifty-one percent expressed an unfavorable opinion, compared with 31% who viewed it favorably.

Second, identifying specifically as a democratic socialist remains relatively uncommon nationally. Fewer than one in five likely voters used the label to describe themselves.

Third, age makes a considerable difference. Younger adults were more than twice as likely as voters ages 45 to 64 to identify as democratic socialists.

Finally, recent Democratic primary victories demonstrate that candidates associated with democratic socialism can succeed in certain constituencies even when the ideology receives considerably less favorable ratings nationally.

Those aren’t necessarily contradictory findings.

Primary electorates can differ significantly from the national electorate, and political attitudes can vary by geography, age, party affiliation and the individual candidates appearing on a ballot.

A Political Divide Worth Watching

The debate over democratic socialism is unlikely to disappear from American politics anytime soon.

Its supporters have demonstrated an ability to win Democratic primary contests, while opponents continue to make socialism part of the national political debate.

Yet the latest polling suggests that the broader electorate remains considerably less willing to personally embrace the label.

With the 2026 midterms approaching, voters are likely to hear considerably more discussion about taxes, government spending, economic policy and the appropriate role of government — issues that frequently overlap with the larger debate surrounding socialism.

The key distinction is that attitudes toward a political label do not automatically reveal how voters feel about every individual policy associated with it.

For readers trying to understand the political landscape, that distinction will remain important as candidates compete for control of Congress this fall.

The New York Times/Siena University poll surveyed 1,503 likely voters from September 8 through September 13. The reported margin of error for the likely electorate was plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.