Economist-YouGov poll finds 29% of Americans say they would vote for a democratic socialist

A new Economist/YouGov poll released Tuesday found that 29 percent of Americans say they would be willing to cast their ballot for a democratic socialist in an election, while 45 percent said they would not and 26 percent were unsure. The finding suggests a sizeable minority has an electoral openness to candidates who describe themselves using that label.

The poll also tested favorability toward socialism. It found 32 percent of respondents view socialism either very favorably or somewhat favorably, compared with 39 percent who view it as either somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable. Another 29 percent of respondents said they were unsure.

The survey took place from June 26 to June 29 and included 1,606 respondents. The reported margin of error was plus or minus 3.2 percentage points, according to the poll results described by The Hill.

In the same report, the movement’s growing presence is linked to recent political wins in several locations, including New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Colorado. The article also pointed to Democratic socialist figures such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as among the most prominent in the modern era of the term’s use in U.S. politics.

The Hill said Sanders posted a statement on social media Wednesday tying recent progressive victories to an effort he describes as building a political revolution. The post was cited as an example of ongoing engagement by top-known democratic socialists as local races draw attention to the label.

Outside the poll described in detail in The Hill item, other recent research from Pew Research Center has reported that Democrats’ views toward political leaders who identify as democratic socialists vary by demographic characteristics and political engagement. Pew’s report, dated June 30, focuses on within-party differences in attitudes toward the label rather than willingness to vote for a democratic socialist candidate.

The Economist/YouGov survey is not an election forecast, but it provides a snapshot of attitudes that can shape how voters respond to candidates who use the democratic socialist branding in primaries and general elections. The results also highlight uncertainty, with 26 percent saying they are unsure about whether they would vote for a democratic socialist.

Election-season emphasis on the label can carry practical effects for candidate messaging and voter outreach, but willingness-to-vote measures like this one can also shift as voters learn more about specific platforms and candidates. For now, the poll indicates that fewer than a third of Americans express readiness to support a democratic socialist candidate outright, while a larger group either rejects the label or remains undecided.