Democrats are becoming Berniecrats
Key takeaways
- Bernie Sanders, I-VT., during a Get Out The Vote rally ahead of New York s primary election, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in the Brooklyn borough of New York.
- Sanders and his socialist ideas are increasingly the driving force in today s Democratic Party, especially among younger Democrats.
- Traditional, left-leaning Democrats are becoming increasingly irrelevant.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT., during a Get Out The Vote rally ahead of New York s primary election, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy) Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is having a moment. Not long ago he was a political outlier and something of an elected gadfly — a self-proclaimed socialist in a Democratic Party that wasn t comfortable with socialism. No more.
Sanders and his socialist ideas are increasingly the driving force in today s Democratic Party, especially among younger Democrats.
Traditional, left-leaning Democrats are becoming increasingly irrelevant. They aren t leaving the party — the party is leaving them, as Sanders s followers rack up political wins across the country.