Third Way launches $15 million effort to curb DSA influence

A major centrist Democratic group is launching a multimillion-dollar campaign to counter the growing influence of the Democratic Socialists of America, a move that follows a series of progressive primary victories that have intensified an internal party struggle. The group, Third Way, plans to spend $15 million through 2028 on opposition research, polling, and messaging to prevent democratic socialism from becoming synonymous with the Democratic Party brand.

The initiative comes in the wake of progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed's narrow victory over moderate Representative Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary on August 4. While El-Sayed is not a DSA-endorsed candidate, his win is viewed as part of a broader wave of anti-establishment sentiment propelling left-wing candidates to success in key races. The same day, state Representative Donavan McKinney, a democratic socialist, defeated incumbent Representative Shri Thanedar in a Detroit-area congressional primary.

These results have heightened concerns among moderate Democrats that nominating far-left candidates in swing states could jeopardize the party's chances of winning back congressional majorities in the...