The power of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is waning. For years, the group has held significant influence over Democratic politics in Western Pennsylvania. However, on Tuesday night, their efforts to push Allegheny County Council to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza were unsuccessful.
The DSA’s declining influence could potentially undermine one of their early triumphs, Representative Summer Lee (D-PA), as she faces off against entrepreneur and local councilwoman Bhavini Patel in the upcoming May Democratic primary race. Lee’s victory in the 2022 Democratic primary was a narrow one.
The council meeting was flooded with over 150 passionate individuals advocating for the ceasefire resolution. However, despite the overwhelming support, the council voted against the resolution with a majority of 9-3, and two members abstained.
Several months ago, two DSA candidates in Allegheny County Council races and progressive district attorney candidate Matt Dugan, who received almost exclusive funding from George Soros, experienced losses in their campaigns.
Sara Innamorato’s stunningly close victory over Republican Joe Rocky for county executive, a seat that Republicans hadn’t come close to winning in almost 25 years, serves as a clear indication that voters have become exhausted with a political movement that leans even further left than most progressive Democrats in the region.
Six years ago, the Democratic Socialists of America in Pittsburgh experienced a surge in popularity. This was largely due to the successes of two left-wing community activists, Lee and Innamorato, who were actively involved in the organization at the time.
Lee and Innamorato caused a stir within the Democratic establishment when they triumphed over two well-liked incumbents in the primary election. Despite the low turnout, their unwavering commitment to socialist causes compelled the traditionally pragmatic Western Pennsylvania political party to embrace a more left-leaning stance in subsequent cycles.
The rise of the DSA to power was made possible with the support of the pro-social justice Service Employees International Union. In no time, they were able to secure additional seats, including two on the county council and even the Pittsburgh mayorship.
Lee’s victory in 2022 marked a significant turning point for the movement. Despite securing only 41.9% of the vote in the city-centric 12th Congressional District, Lee managed to edge out Democrat Steve Irwin by just 1,008 votes. This close call, with University of Pittsburgh School of Law professor Jerry Dickinson earning approximately 11%, served as a wake-up call that the movement was losing steam.
According to an anonymous local Democratic strategist, the far-left wing of the party lacks the ability to govern effectively. The strategist, who has experience working on statewide and regional campaigns, believes that this faction has not demonstrated the necessary skills and expertise required for effective governance.
According to him, there is a misconception that the Democratic Party holds significant strength in areas like Allegheny County due to its numerous victories in low-turnout primaries.
According to him, whenever there is a higher voter turnout during presidential years, the candidates tend to perform poorly. He further emphasizes this point by highlighting the cases of Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, who did not fare well against Bernie Sanders in this region when the turnout was high.
Both Clinton and Biden easily defeated Sanders in Allegheny County during the primary contests in 2016 and 2020.
According to the speaker, the progressive wing seems to perform better when there is a lower voter turnout, despite their claims of empowering people.
According to him, these indications of decline have the potential to increase Patel’s chances of posing a real challenge to Lee in May.
“The impact of not having a competitive Democratic presidential primary raises a big question mark,” he asserted. “There are numerous Democrats who identify as progressive, although they are not part of the fringe.”
Patel, a native of Monroeville in Allegheny County, emerges as a strong contender for the Democrats in their bid for this seat. With her background as a community outreach manager in the county and her current position on the Edgewood Borough council, she brings valuable experience to the table. This seat, previously occupied by Democrat Mike Doyle for forty years, is well-suited for Patel’s candidacy.
Patel, a skilled retail politician, has dedicated numerous hours to personally engaging with voters by knocking on doors and introducing herself.
In a surprising turn of events, the loss in resolution coincided with Laurie MacDonald’s withdrawal from the Democratic contest for Lee’s congressional seat. This unexpected development has transformed the primary race into a one-on-one battle between Patel and the remaining candidate.
It is fascinating to observe the resurgence of the classic progressive movement within the Democratic Party, according to the strategist.
According to him, the local Democratic Party has been increasingly rejecting the all-or-nothing wing of the party. He believes that the us-versus-them mentality of those on the far Left is not conducive to effective governance. He also mentioned that many people will be closely observing how this dynamic unfolds for Summer Lee in the upcoming May elections.
