Connecticut Democratic Socialists of America report Gains in Municipal Elections
BRIDGEPORT, CT – November 4, 2025 – The Connecticut chapter of the Democratic socialists of America (DSA) is claiming increased support following recent municipal elections where four of its members won council seats across the state. Despite running as Democrats due to the DSA’s lack of a ballot line, these victories signal a potential shift in local politics, focusing on pragmatic solutions to everyday problems.
The DSA’s success comes as the organization navigates ideological differences with the state Democratic Party. State party chair Roberto Alves acknowledged these distinctions but emphasized the candidates’ focus on local concerns as key to their wins.”all politics are local, and the Democratic message in a place like Plymouth is very different than the democratic message in a place like New Haven,” Alves said.
Jeff Hart, a DSA member reelected to the New London city council, attributed his victory to prioritizing local issues, even while facing opposition from within the Democratic party after a contentious primary. He highlighted the importance of connecting with voters over concerns like the local school district. The success echoes that of New York City’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, whose campaign centered on affordability.
“In my experience,voters are mostly not ideological,and a lot of this is personality driven,and what a lot of people find missing from our politics and our culture is authenticity,” Hart explained.
DSA member Hodan Osmanu, first elected in 2021, described his approach as ”Sewer Socialism“-a focus on improving municipal infrastructure, drawing parallels to the legacy of Bridgeport’s former socialist mayor, Jasper McLevy. “One of the best ways to be able to actually explain how socialism works to folks is actually to engage with them at it, you know, at the local level, with, like, the everyday issues that are actually impacting their life,” Osmanu said.
While acknowledging ideological differences, Connecticut Republican Party Chair Ben Proto previously stated to Connecticut Public that mamdani represents the current face of the Democratic Party. Proto also conceded that local races are frequently enough decided by a candidate’s ability to address local issues, echoing the sentiment of the late New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia: “there’s no Democrat or Republican way to pick up the trash.”
