A senior House Democrat is urging his party to confront the socialist movement that has been gaining ground in recent primary elections, warning that dismissing it would leave Democrats exposed in the midterms.

Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York, a moderate Democrat, said in an interview that he rejects the ideas promoted by the Democratic Socialists of America and believes they have little support among voters. He compared the DSA to the House Freedom Caucus, a right-wing faction that often pushes House Republicans further to the right, and said Democrats will eventually have to deal with the group.

«I don't ascribe to any of those ideas at all, and I think that there's very little support for those ideas,» Suozzi said.

DSA-linked candidates have made significant inroads in Democratic primaries across the country, in some cases defeating incumbent House progressives in New York and Colorado. Republicans have sought to capitalize on those clashes, portraying the intraparty fight as a sign that a Democratic-controlled House would empower the party’s socialist wing.

Suozzi warned his fellow Democrats not to treat the movement as a minor problem. He rejected the argument that the socialist left is limited to a small number of deep-blue districts and said the party should take the challenge head-on.

«I try not to waste my time on worry. I try to take action,» Suozzi said. «A lot of Democrats say, 'It's just a very small percentage in very deep-blue seats, and it's not that big a deal.' I think that's wrong to just discount it like that.»

Suozzi, co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, is part of a shrinking group of moderates in Congress and is one of Republicans’ top midterm targets. His district, anchored in the wealthy Long Island suburbs outside New York City, was won by President Donald Trump in 2024. Suozzi is running against Republican former state lawmaker Mike LiPetri, whom Trump has endorsed.

On the campaign trail, Suozzi said Democrats should not focus on running against Trump as a person but should instead highlight the administration’s record on everyday costs.

«Your grocery prices are higher, your fuel prices are high, your health insurance costs are higher. Your energy bill is higher. Your kids can't buy a house,» Suozzi said. He argued that the election should be a referendum on the administration’s performance, not simply on the president himself.

Republicans have argued that a Democratic-led House would embolden the socialist wing to push policies that are unpopular with most Americans. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, has become a prominent target of Republican criticism. Suozzi said Mamdani is smart and charismatic but that he fundamentally disagrees with his positions.

«He's a very smart guy, he's very charismatic,» Suozzi said. «I just fundamentally disagree with his positions on things.»

Suozzi acknowledged that the Republican line of attack could be effective if he had not distanced himself from Mamdani’s policy platform early on. He said speaking out against the socialist left is not enough and that Democrats need to organize around a clear identity.

To that end, Suozzi said he started an initiative called The Promise to America, which has signed up 10 members of Congress and is working to add 200 state and local officials. He said the effort has identified 10 Democratic candidates to sign a pledge defining the party’s mainstream orientation.

«We're capitalist, not socialist. We're for safety, not lawlessness. We're proud, not ashamed of America, and we're mainstream, we're not extreme,» Suozzi said. «We've just got to organize, we've got to do the work necessary.»