by Hannah Knudsen
Most Democrats would vote for a candidate describing themselves as a “Democratic Socialist,” a recent Economist/YouGov survey revealed.
The survey asked respondents, “Would you ever vote for a candidate who identified as a “Democratic Socialist?”
Across the board, a plurality of respondents, 45 percent, said they would not vote for such a candidate, followed by 29 percent who said they would and 26 percent who remain unsure.
Predictably, the vast majority of Republicans, 85 percent, said they would not vote for a “Democratic Socialist,” but most Democrats, 62 percent, said they would do so. Further, only 11 percent of Democrats said they would not, and over a quarter, 27 percent, said they are “not sure.”
A plurality of independents, 40 percent, said they would not vote for a “Democratic Socialist,” compared to 24 percent who said they would.
An even greater majority, 73 percent, of self-described liberals said they would support a “Democratic Socialist,” and most 2024 voters of former Vice President Kamala Harris, 64 percent, said they would as well. Only five percent of 2024 Trump voters said the same.
The survey also revealed that more Democrats view socialism more favorably than capitalism – 34 percent choosing socialism and 22 percent choosing capitalism. Additionally, 58 percent of Democrats view socialism in general “favorably.”
The survey was taken June 26 – 29, 2026, among 1,606 respondents. It has a +/- 3.2 percent margin of error.