【Dear Utol (2025): Catfish Episode 46】

In 2017 — in some parts of the country,Dear Utol (2025): Catfish Episode 46 at least — socialism is no longer a dirty word.

For months, the number of takes about the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) greatly outpaced the number of elected offices they held. While that's still entirely true, Tuesday's election night gains for the group were fairly substantial. The Democratic Socialists picked up a historic 15 seats across the country, adding to the 20 members they already have in office.

Without context, that number may seem kinda weak. Historically, however, it has value. The DSA saw a 75% increase in elected officials last night, as well as something of a spiritual rebrand. It's a percentage that shouldn't be ignored, especially when you consider the group's unexpectedly diverse geographic appeal.

Most Americans probably aren't all that familiar with the Democratic Socialists, outside of Bernie Sanders and some rando dude who handed them a newsletter at a protest. If you were born in America any time after the Eugene Debs era (which ended in 1926), your associations with socialism probably begin and end with the Cold War, and maybe your AP History exam.

Since the 2016 Democratic primary and the rise of Senator Sanders, at least some of that has changed. Last night saw the victory of Lee Carter, a DSA-endorsed candidate and open socialist from Manassas, Virginia, who defeated the Republican incumbent and GOP minority whip, Jackson Miller. Carter, who also attracted support from Our Revolution and Indivisible, whipped the whip soundly, winning by an absolutely punishing nine points.

Folks, Lee Carter started singing solidarity forever after he won and this Twitter user is crying

— DSA NOVA (@dsa_nova) November 8, 2017

Manassas, Virginia, isn't exactly the place you think of when it comes to, uh, democratic socialism. But Carter's victory doesn't appear to be so much a bug as it is a feature.

On Tuesday, DSA-endorsed candidates won in traditional liberal strongholds as well as few pro-Trump towns in a reversal that has at least some of us going, "Huh?"

Take a look at the field. In Cheektowaga, New York, last night, Democratic Socialist Brian Nowak won for Town Council. Just a year before, Trump had turned the traditionally blue town red, winning by a notable 1.4% margin.

Many congrats to DSA member Brian Nowak on his victory in New York! pic.twitter.com/Od39VlVSx3

— DSA 🌹 (@DemSocialists) November 8, 2017

A suburb of Buffalo, Cheektowaga is a six-hour drive from "socialist New York City." It's not exactly a hotbed of radical activism, but Nowak won by close to 200 votes.

A similar thing happened in Pleasant Hill, a small town in Polk County, Iowa. Polk County went strongly for Trump, where he attracted 51.1% of the votes compared to Clinton's meagre 41.7%. Last night, DSA candidate Ross Grooters won a spot there on the town's city council.

Over in Moorhead, Minnesota, DSA member Kara Gloe won a spot on the school board. Though the small city broke for Clinton, its demographics — largely white and working class — would give a lot of other Democrats pause.

There were more expected wins, too: DSA candidate Joel Sipress won his election in Duluth, Minnesota, for City Council. Over in Knoxville, TN, Seema Singh Perez won hers, becoming the city's first Indian-American council member. Democratic Socialists JT Scott and Ben Ewen-Campen unseated incumbents in Democratic Somerville, Massachusetts.

Congrats DSA member Seema Singh Perez and Knoxville DSA! https://t.co/j825ABvjWV

— DSA 🌹 (@DemSocialists) November 8, 2017

"We're winning in places like Moorehead, MN, where it might not be expected ... we haven't seen this kind of socialist activity since 100 years ago," Chris Riddiough, a member of the DSA's National Political Committee, told Mashable. "And not only did we have socialists winning. We had other progressives, too."

According to Riddiough, the DSA has added 20,000 members in the last year alone.

"Right after the election, the growth was enormous," Riddiough says.

To be clear: these are largely local elections and 15 candidates does not a socialist revolution make. Still, it's a pattern worth watching, especially if ends up being as geographically diverse as Riddiough believes it can one day be.

The workers of the world may not be uniting, but at least they're starting to vote.