Sen. Bernie Sanders declared earlier this week that the country is “on the verge of the political revolution we have fought for for such a long time now,” citing a wave of progressive and Democratic Socialist primary victories that have reshaped the Democratic Party’s direction.
In a social media address released Thursday, the Vermont independent pointed to specific election results across the nation as evidence of a fundamental political shift. Most notably, Democratic Socialist Melat Kiros defeated 30-year incumbent Diana DeGette in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District on July 1, despite being heavily outspent by super PACs.
The victories extend across multiple states and races. Graham Platner, a Sanders-backed candidate, won Maine’s Democratic Senate primary on June 9, setting up a general election challenge against Republican incumbent Susan Collins. In New York City, nine of ten candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America prevailed in June 23 primaries, capping a stunning sweep that followed Zohran Mamdani’s historic election as the city’s first Democratic Socialist mayor in November 2025. Other Sanders-endorsed candidates secured wins in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Montana, and Ohio.
Sanders emphasized that the movement transcends any single candidate or personality. “This is not about Bernie Sanders, not about anybody else,” he stated. “We are a movement to elect progressives at every level, who will fight for a government that represents working people.” The senator argued that the Democratic Party must move beyond simply opposing Donald Trump and instead focus on confronting the economic influence of billionaires and large corporations.
The momentum reflects growing grassroots organizing power. The DSA’s New York City chapter, the organization’s largest and most active, expanded from 5,900 dues-paying members in fall 2024 to 14,000 before the June primary election, with at least 900 additional members joining in the first day after the results were announced, according to The Guardian.
Historian Maurice Isserman, a DSA co-founder who had previously predicted the organization faced a “death spiral,” reassessed his view after Mamdani’s mayoral victory and the subsequent primary wins. “I was wrong in that sense,” Isserman reflected. “I did not anticipate Zohran.” He characterized the NYC-DSA’s performance as evidence that the chapter “has indeed become the left wing of the possible.”
Sanders outlined his vision for the immediate future, calling for structural changes in the Democratic Party and urging support for progressive Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota in August primaries. His ultimate goal, he stated, is to elect progressive majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to begin implementing legislative changes in January 2027.
Sources
- AOL/Tampa Free Press — Bernie Sanders’ statement on the political revolution and recent primary victories, July 2, 2026
- Politico — Sanders-backed candidates’ primary wins and endorsement record, June 10, 2026
- ABC News — Melat Kiros’ defeat of Diana DeGette in Colorado primary, July 2, 2026
- The Guardian — Democratic Socialist wave in New York and Colorado primaries, DSA membership growth, July 1, 2026
- CNN — Graham Platner’s Maine Democratic Senate primary victory, June 9-10, 2026
