Democratic Socialists' 'Seizing Means of Production' Goal Gains Attention Following Key Primary Victory

New York City — The electoral success of progressive organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and Justice Democrats is drawing renewed attention to their stated aims of transforming the Democratic Party. A recent tweet from "BK 🇺🇸" highlighted this ambition, stating, "Even worse, it is the same group of leftists/DSA/JDs who openly want to take over the Democratic Party to make it their own. It's literally in their written agenda." This sentiment comes as DSA member Zohran Mamdani recently secured a significant primary victory in the New York City mayoral race.

The Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the U.S. with over 80,000 members, explicitly aims to replace capitalism with democratic socialism. Their long-term strategy, often termed the "dirty break," involves running candidates within Democratic Party primaries to gain influence and build power, with the ultimate goal of establishing an independent workers' party. DSA's platform calls for "social ownership of major industry and infrastructure" and seeks to empower working people by decreasing corporate influence.

Justice Democrats, another influential progressive political action committee, focuses on electing progressive candidates to the U.S. Congress. The organization challenges corporate and establishment Democrats in primary elections, advocating for policies such as Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and campaign finance reform. Justice Democrats aim to shift the Democratic Party's ideological center from within, and their endorsed candidates typically caucus with the Democratic Party in Congress.

The tweet's assertion that these groups "literally in their written agenda" seek to "take over" the Democratic Party reflects a critical interpretation of their stated goals. While Justice Democrats' platform emphasizes policy reforms within capitalism, DSA's long-term vision includes more fundamental economic restructuring. Zohran Mamdani, a DSA member and presumptive mayoral nominee, recently reiterated this during a 2021 Young Democratic Socialists of America conference, stating that a firm belief among socialists is "the end goal of seizing the means of production."

Mamdani's comments, which resurfaced following his June 2025 primary win, have drawn sharp criticism from figures like former Brooklyn City Councilman Ari Kagan, a Belarus native who grew up under Soviet-style communism. Kagan described Mamdani's remarks as "chilling" and "dangerous and scary," arguing that such ideas led to economic hardship in his home country. The ongoing debate highlights the ideological tensions within the broader progressive movement and the Democratic Party as these organizations continue to expand their electoral influence.