“Ken Martin took over the Democratic National Committee promising to rebuild the party from the grassroots up—pulling power out of Washington and into all 50 states,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“More than a year later, Martin’s DNC is struggling. The committee has had difficulty filling its coffers as Republicans amass a 2-to-1 cash advantage. And as Democrats wage a once-a-generation battle for the soul of the party, their national chairman has yet to emerge as a central player.”

“The predicament is partly Martin’s own making, according to more than a dozen Democratic operatives. From the start, Martin made clear he wasn’t focused on repairing relationships with the major donors and party officials who hadn’t backed his bid to run the committee. If those power brokers needed the DNC, he told allies, they could come to him.”

New York Times: “Socialists are used to losing in this country. Yet their movement has endured, because socialism — more of a spirit than a single ideology — adapts to each era. Socialists are astute critics of the status quo, always imagining other ways to live, whatever historical moment they happen to be in. Now their fortunes have turned, and they could be ‘on the verge of the political revolution we have fought for for such a long time,’ as Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who has bedeviled the party while becoming the most influential American socialist in a century, said last week.”

“But if the movement is so amorphous, what is the type of socialism that is ascendant now?”

Rachel Bade: “For years, establishment Democrats have quietly grumbled about Bernie Sanders trying to play kingmaker in primaries he has zero personal accountability for — parachuting in, cutting a video, headlining a rally, then moving on to the next fight while some hapless nominee is left holding the bag in November or the party is forced to pick up the pieces.”

“This week, the grumbling is reaching a fever pitch behind the scenes in Washington’s Democratic circles.”

Wall Street Journal: “Avila Chevalier is at the forefront of a shocking blitz by Democratic socialists that has upended Democratic politics. She was one of three New York congressional candidates who won their Democratic primaries after receiving Mamdani’s endorsement. Her victory startled party leaders more than the others. She usurped a five-term incumbent and chairman of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus who had built a well-oiled political machine in a district covering upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx.”

“Democratic strategists said her win signaled voters’ openness to supporting controversial candidates as long as they are viewed as bucking the system.”

Said former Obama aide Patrick Gaspard: “This is no longer a left-versus-right moment. It’s an outsider-versus-insider moment in our politics. Too many people are feeling as if systems are rigged against them and the people they have elected to these seats are way too comfortable and cozy.”

“Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro tore into New York socialist congressional nominee Darializa Avila Chevalier and warned that a battle is brewing for the soul of the Democratic Party,” the New York Post reports.

Said Shapiro: “I think what our party has to go through that will be very healthy, and something we’ve not really done since the 1992 election cycle, is to have a battle over what we believe in.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) praised the rise of democratic socialists within the Democratic Party and argued ahead of the July 4th weekend that the “country is on the verge of the political revolution that we have fought for for such a long time,” Mediaite reports.

“The leaders of Democratic Socialists of America chapters are seeing a boost in energy ahead of November’s midterms,” NOTUS reports.

“That momentum is on the heels of primary wins by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani-endorsed candidates Darializa Avila Chevalier, Claire Valdez and Brad Lander in New York. Earlier this week in Colorado, Melat Kiros beat out another House incumbent, fueling speculation that this is the ascendant wing of the Democratic Party.”

“Chapter leaders say they’re feeling that energy on the ground. They’re getting interest from voters, new members, and people interested in running for office.”

New York Times: “The progressive movement is surging this election cycle, as liberal voters — furious with a Democratic establishment they view as old, tepid and beholden to corporate interests — have ousted incumbents. In particular, socialism (a term politicians once strained to distance themselves from) has surged in popularity on the left, as candidates with that label have won House primaries in New York City, Denver and Philadelphia.”

“Wisconsin, which Mr. Trump won in 2024, presents a riskier gamble.”

“We told you bro, we fucking warned you.”

— Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Megan Romer, quoted by the Wall Street Journal, on the Democratic party establishment.