But while that win and those that came in other 2021 elections can be seen as moderates beating progressives, what it really shows is how Democratic voters actually like their party and its leadership.
But while that win and those that came in other 2021 elections can be seen as moderates beating progressives, what it really shows is how Democratic voters actually like their party and its leadership. This marks a major difference between Democratic and Republican voters. The candidates who have won major Democratic primaries this year have tended to be very loyal to the Democratic Party. Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic nominee for governor in Virginia, is a former governor, national party chairman and fundraiser. Eric Adams, the Democratic nominee for mayor in New York City, is a longtime borough president and former state senator. Rep. Troy Carter, who won a special election in Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District, was a longtime local official who had the backing of most members of Congress who endorsed. In none of these elections did the candidates who were very critical of the party come close to winning: A Democratic Socialist member got less than 5% of the vote in Virginia. A progressive activist who likened her campaign to Bernie Sanders‘ in New York’s mayoral race ended up with less than 5% of the vote. The candidate backed by progressive media personalities such as Shaun King, who was quite critical of President Joe Biden during the 2020 primary, finished out of the runoff in Louisiana’s special election.
