The Democratic Party Can No Longer Control the Rise of the DSA Due to Super PAC-Driven Campaign Finance
Source: "Democratic Socialists challenge Democrats in the Age of the Super PAC | Fox News." August 10, 2026. www.foxnews.com
The Gist
The author argues that the Democratic Party used to control who could run and win as a Democrat through its grip on campaign money, but a 2010 Supreme Court ruling (Citizens United) broke that grip by allowing outside Super PACs to fund candidates directly. Now, socialist candidates from the DSA (like NYC Mayor Mamdani) can win elections as Democrats using Super PAC money, and the party has no legal or financial way to stop them from claiming the Democrat label.
Conclusion
The Democratic Party has lost its ability to control or stop the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) from claiming the Democrat label and redefining the party from within.
Premises
- Before Citizens United v. FEC (2010), political parties controlled candidate selection through fundraising, endorsements, and coordinated spending, ensuring party-preferred candidates usually won primaries.
- Citizens United enabled Super PACs to raise and spend unlimited funds supporting candidates without coordinating with parties, shifting fundraising power away from parties themselves.
- Wealthy individual donors (e.g., Elizabeth Simons) now fund independent PACs that can single-handedly power DSA-aligned candidates like Zohran Mamdani to victory, as seen with the $2 million raised by New Yorkers for Lower Costs.
- There is no legal mechanism preventing DSA members (like Mamdani and Bernie Sanders) from running and winning as Democrats, since party affiliation in primaries is not restricted.
- The DNC itself is financially weak and no longer serves as the central hub of Democratic fundraising, further reducing its leverage over which candidates succeed under the party banner.
- Historical precedent shows minor/insurgent parties (Whigs, Greenbacks, etc.) have previously reshaped or challenged dominant parties, suggesting the DSA is following a similar disruptive pattern but with modern financial tools.
Assumptions
- Financial/fundraising control is the primary mechanism by which parties have historically maintained ideological discipline over their candidates.
- Super PAC money is a decisive causal factor in DSA candidates' electoral wins, rather than one contributing factor among many (e.g., grassroots enthusiasm, message appeal, opponent weakness).
- The DSA and Democratic Party leadership have substantially different goals and interests, and the party would want to stop the DSA's rise if it could.
- Legal ability to run as a Democrat translates into effective redefinition of the party's identity and platform.
- The pre-2010 system of party control over candidates was effective at preventing ideological factions from gaining power within parties.