The Democratic Socialists of America likely chose not to run or endorse a single recent candidate on Long Island because it thought it could lose face — but a planned local takeover is coming, experts say.
The far-left DSA’s leaders believe the ground work has now been laid for it to start targeting the massive suburban voter base after landslide primary wins in New York City last week, they said.
Three extremist candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the DSA blew out incumbent moderate Democrats to vie for their seats in congress.
“New York City is the beating heart of the DSA movement, and they rightfully focused on their [congressional districts] of strength — and now would be the time to start expanding out into the suburbs,” political analyst John Tomlin told The Post.
While the DSA did not run or endorse a candidate on Long Island this election cycle, that was likely a calculated play to ensure the wins in the city and to boost the organization’s stature before trying to take over Democratic party seats in harder-to-win territories such as Long Island, Tomlin said.
“One thing that’s important to understand about the suburbs is that there a not much of a bench, and they’re going to start building that,” Tomlin said, explaining that he expects to start seeing DSA candidates pop-up running for local town offices, village committee seats, town supervisor roles and county legislature chairs in the lead-up to the 2028 election cycle.
But Republicans such as the GOP nominee for governor, Long Island Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, laughed off the strategy when asked for opinions on it after last week’s primary.
“They didn’t come to Long Island because they would’ve gotten their asses kicked,” Blakeman snickered of the DSA, adding that socialist policies have no allure in the suburbs, “where people have brains.”
Since the DSA’s primary sweep in the city, Blakeman has called on “moderate” Democrats to back him in his bid for governor in order to stop the growing socialist takeover of the state’s Democratic party.
But Tomlin warned that the socialists’ Red Wave is bound to hit the shores of Long Island in the near future and believes there isn’t much any opposition can do if the Long Island DSA chapter takes the same approach as New York City’s group.
“Zohran Mamdani is the most popular Democrat in the country, and DSA candidates are winning while moderate Democrats who try to appeal to both sides continue to appeal to no one,” Tomlin said.
“People will say DSA policies won’t work in the suburbs until it works in the suburbs,” he said.
“Do people in the suburbs not want healthcare? Do they not support ending foreign wars and reinvesting that money back into the country and the education system?”
DSA Long Island leaders did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
