The Democratic Party’s left flank isn’t the fringe anymore.
The influence of the far-left within the Democratic Party has grown significantly in recent decades, according to CNN polling analyst Harry Enten.
Enten presented data on Thursday showing the share of Democrats who identify as “very liberal” has surged from 5% in 1999 to 21% today. Over the same period, the share identifying as “conservative” has declined from 26% to 8%.
As the party drifts leftward, the data suggest that this movement could create political trouble in the future.
“The far-left, which used to just be a smidgen within the Democratic Party, has gained considerable power,” said Enten.
Enten made the point after a New Jersey special election in which the progressive Democratic candidate, Analilia Mejia, beat her primary opponent in the race to represent the state’s 11th Congressional District.
Mejia was backed by prominent socialists, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and lacked the support of the party establishment inside the Garden State, according to NBC News.
“The results from that special election, that Democratic primary in the 11th District in New Jersey, speak to a larger point within the Democratic Party, and that is that the far-left is significantly more powerful than they once were,” said Enten.
The percentage of self-identified democratic socialists in the Democratic Party registers at about a third, but appears to be ascending.
Among younger Democrats — those under 35 — 42% identify with the far-left label.
“Bernie Sanders and [New York City Mayor] Zohran Mandani are not alone. They are a considerable part of the Democratic base at this point,” said Enten.
“What happened in New York City is not some aberration, right? It is not something that just happened in New York City; it is something that we are seeing grow within the Democratic Party at this particular point,” he added.
Enten also pointed to polling suggesting Americans are increasingly turned off by the party’s leftward drift. A majority of Americans now say Democrats overall are “too liberal,” rising from 42% in 1996 to 58% today.
“The Democrats are moving to the left, the far-left is gaining power, and there could be some electoral repercussions because what we see right now is voters, the clear majority, say that they are too liberal,” said Enten.
If Democrats keep chasing the activist edge, they may end up losing the middle.
Watch the clip below:
An all-time high, 58%, of voters say the Dem Party is too liberal.
This comes as 1-in-3 Democrats think of themselves as Democratic Socialists!
And the % of Dems who say they're very liberal has quadrupled since 1999.
NJ-11, NYC mayor & Bernie Sanders are no aberration. pic.twitter.com/J0xuskHgn6
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) February 12, 2026
Thank you for visiting