Democratic Leaders Want the Party to Moderate. Its Base Has Other Ideas.

Democratic victories in New York’s congressional primaries have intensified calls from party leaders to shift toward the political center, but the results suggest Democratic voters are moving left instead. After three left-leaning candidates in New York City defeated establishment-backed rivals, a flurry of Republican messaging appeared at House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries’ Capitol Hill office, including a sympathy card and flowers mocking Jeffries. Progressives celebrated the outcomes on Wednesday, while Republicans sought to define Democrats through their most outspoken socialist-leaning voices. The article says Washington Democrats want moderate nominees, especially in states that have been difficult in recent years, yet primary voters increasingly favor progressives and even socialists. It cites factors such as high prices and President Trump’s weakened popularity, and notes Trump’s early Wednesday post calling two winning Democrats “3 solid Communists,” including two who identify as democratic socialists.