The following is a list of members of the United States Congress who have declared themselves to be socialists or have been a member of a socialist organization in the United States.
The First Red Scare and Second Red Scare, and McCarthy era, resulted in persecution of socialists, removal of socialists from unions, and weaker socialist electoral outcomes.[1]
There are currently more socialists in Congress than any point in US history,[2] most of whom are Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) members.[3]
Table
As of March 16, 2023[update]:
Member | Photo | Chamber | Term start | Term end | State | Party | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greg Casar | House | January 3, 2023 | Incumbent | Texas | Democratic Party (DSA member, former Austin DSA endorsee) | [4][5] | ||
Summer Lee | House | January 3, 2023 | Incumbent | Pennsylvania | Democratic Party (former DSA member and former DSA endorsee[a]) | [6][7] | ||
Cori Bush | House | January 3, 2021 | Incumbent | Missouri | Democratic Party (DSA member and endorsee) | [2][8][9] | ||
Jamaal Bowman | House | January 3, 2021 | Incumbent | New York | Democratic Party (DSA member and NYC-DSA endorsee) | [2][10][11][12] | ||
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez | House | January 3, 2019 | Incumbent | New York | Democratic Party (DSA member and endorsee) | [2][13] | ||
Rashida Tlaib | House | January 3, 2019 | Incumbent | Michigan | Democratic Party (DSA member and endorsee) | [2][13] | ||
Ilhan Omar | House | January 3, 2019 | Incumbent | Minnesota | Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party | [b] | ||
Bernie Sanders | Senate | January 3, 2007 | Incumbent | Vermont | Independent (won all Democratic Party primaries) | [18][19][20] | ||
Danny Davis | House | January 3, 1997 | Incumbent | Illinois | Democratic Party (former New Party member and DSA member) | [c] | ||
Bernie Sanders | House | January 3, 1991 | January 3, 2007 | Vermont | Independent (won most Democratic Party votes) | [18][19][20] | ||
Major Owens | House | January 3, 1983 | January 3, 2007 | New York | Democratic Party (DSA member) | [13][25] | ||
David Bonior | House | January 3, 1977 | January 3, 2003 | Michigan | Democratic Party (DSA member) | [26][27] | ||
Ron Dellums | House | January 3, 1971 | February 6, 1998 | California | Democratic Party (DSA member) | [13][28] | ||
John Conyers | House | January 3, 1965 | December 5, 2017 | Michigan | Democratic Party (DSA member) | [29] | ||
William H. Meyer | House | January 3, 1959 | January 3, 1961 | Vermont | Democratic Party (Future Liberty Union Party founder) | [30] | ||
Andrew Biemiller | House | January 3, 1949 | January 3, 1951 | Wisconsin | Democratic Party (former Socialist Party of America member) | [31] | ||
Leo Isacson | House | February 17, 1948 | January 3, 1949 | New York | American Labor Party | [32] | ||
Andrew Biemiller | House | January 3, 1945 | January 3, 1947 | Wisconsin | Democratic Party (former Socialist Party of America member) | [31] | ||
Hugh De Lacy | House | January 3, 1945 | January 3, 1947 | Washington | Democratic Party (Communist Party USA member) | [33] | ||
Bolívar Pagán | House | December 26, 1939 | January 3, 1945 | Puerto Rico | Republican Union (Socialist Party member) | |||
Vito Marcantonio | House | January 3, 1939 | January 3, 1951 | New York | American Labor Party | [32][34] | ||
John Bernard | House | January 3, 1937 | January 3, 1939 | Minnesota | Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party (Future Communist Party USA member) | [35][36] | ||
Jerry J. O'Connell | House | January 3, 1937 | January 3, 1939 | Montana | Democratic Party | [37] | ||
Jerry Voorhis | House | January 3, 1937 | January 3, 1947 | California | Democratic Party (former Socialist Party of America member) | [38] | ||
Vito Marcantonio | House | January 3, 1935 | January 3, 1937 | New York | Republican Party | [32][34] | ||
Santiago Iglesias | House | March 4, 1933 | December 5, 1939 | Puerto Rico | Socialist Party | |||
Homer Bone | Senate | January 3, 1933 | November 13, 1944 | Washington | Democratic Party (former Socialist Party of America member) | [39] | ||
Fiorello LaGuardia | House | March 4, 1927 | March 3, 1933 | New York | Republican Party (former Socialist Party of America candidate and self-identified socialist) | [40] | ||
Fiorello LaGuardia | House | March 4, 1925 | March 4, 1927 | New York | Socialist Party of America and Progressive Party | [40] | ||
Fiorello LaGuardia | House | March 4, 1923 | March 4, 1925 | New York | Republican Party (future Socialist Party of America candidate and self-identified socialist) | [40] | ||
Victor Berger | House | March 4, 1923 | March 3, 1929 | Wisconsin | Socialist Party of America | [13] | ||
Meyer London | House | March 4, 1921 | March 3, 1923 | New York | Socialist Party of America | [13] | ||
Victor Berger | House | March 4, 1919 | November 10, 1919 | Wisconsin | Socialist Party of America | [13] | ||
Fiorello LaGuardia | House | March 4, 1917 | December 31, 1919 | New York | Republican Party (future Socialist Party of America candidate and self-identified socialist) | [40] | ||
George Lunn | House | March 4, 1917 | March 4, 1919 | New York | Democratic Party (former Socialist Party of America member) | [41] | ||
Meyer London | House | March 4, 1915 | March 3, 1919 | New York | Socialist Party of America | [13] | ||
Harry Lane | Senate | March 4, 1913 | May 23, 1917 | Oregon | Democratic Party | [42] | ||
Victor Berger | House | March 4, 1911 | March 3, 1913 | Wisconsin | Socialist Party of America | [13] | ||
Freeman Knowles | House | March 4, 1897 | March 3, 1899 | South Dakota | People's Party (United States) (Future Socialist Party of America Member) | [43] | ||
Kittel Halvorson | House | March 3, 1891 | March 4, 1893 | Wisconsin | People's Party (United States) (Future Socialist Party of America Member) | [44] | ||
Lewis Featherstone | House | March 5, 1890 | March 3, 1891 | Arkansas | Union Labor Party | |||
Henry Smith | House | March 4, 1887 | March 3, 1889 | Wisconsin | Union Labor Party | [45] | ||
Horace Greeley | House | December 4, 1848 | March 3, 1849 | New York | Whig Party (United States) | [46] | ||
Robert Dale Owen | House | March 4, 1843 | March 3, 1847 | Indiana | Democratic Party | [47] |
Notable progressive but not socialist Congress members
- Maxwell Frost (1997–, FL-10) is a progressive and the first Generation Z member of Congress. Frost explicitly does not identify as socialist, saying "my family fled that".[48]
- Ayanna Pressley (1974–, MA-07) is a member of "The Squad". Pressley explicitly does not identify as socialist.[49][50]
- Shri Thanedar (1955–, MI-13) is a Democrat and expelled DSA member. Thanedar is not considered a socialist or reflective of the values of the organization.[51][52]
- Raúl Grijalva (1948-, AZ-7) is a Democrat and member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Blue Collar Caucus and the Justice Democrats. He has been ranked as among the most left leaning members of congress by GovTrack and National journal, and was a member of the Raza Unida Party in his youth, but has not governed as a socialist.
- George Crockett Jr. (1909–1996, MI-13) was a National Lawyers Guild member who attended the DSA founding conference, but never joined the group itself.[53]
- Allard K. Lowenstein (1969-1971, NY-5) was aligned with many New Left causes and was supported in his campaigns by DSA members such as Ron Dellums but never identified as a socialist himself.
- Robert M. La Follette (1855–1925, WI-Sen) aligned himself with Socialist groups but never identified as a Socialist himself.[54]
- American Labor Party–Democratic Party fusion candidates:
- Joseph L. Pfeifer (1935–1951)
- Emanuel Celler (1923–1973)
- Arthur G. Klein (1941–1945, 1946–1956)
- Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (1945–1971)
- Nonpartisan League members:
- United States senators:
- Lynn Frazier (1923–1941)
- William Langer (1941–1959)
- United States representatives:
- John Miller Baer (1917–1921)
- Usher L. Burdick (1949–1959)
- William Lemke (1933–1941; 1943–1950)
- United States senators:
- Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party members:
- United States senators:
- Henrik Shipstead (1923–1941); later became a Republican
- Magnus Johnson (1923–1925)
- Elmer Austin Benson (1935–1937)
- Ernest Lundeen (1937–1940)
- United States representatives:
- William Leighton Carss (1919–1921, 1925–1929)
- Ole J. Kvale (1923–1929)
- Knud Wefald (1923–1927)
- Paul John Kvale (1929–1939)
- Henry M. Arens (1933–1935)
- Magnus Johnson (1933–1935)
- Ernest Lundeen (1933–1937); had previously served as a Republican Representative (1915–1917), also served in the Senate
- Francis Shoemaker (1933–1935)
- United States senators:
See also
- Other lists:
- List of elected socialist mayors in the United States
- List of Democratic Socialists of America public officeholders
- List of Green politicians who have held office in the United States (none at federal level)
- List of Communist Party USA members who have held office in the United States (none at federal level)
- History of the socialist movement in the United States
- Taxation in the United States
- The Squad (United States Congress)
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Millennial socialism
Endnotes
References
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