Get context, not just headlines. Every weekday The Excerpt brings USA TODAY's award-winning journalists from across the nation together to unpack America's most pressing stories — from politics and culture to sports and entertainment — with host Dana Taylor.
The Democratic Party’s left wing is no longer knocking on the door—it’s kicking it in. The same energy that helped elect Zohran Mamdani has fueled a string of insurgent victories, knocking off longtime officeholders and helping progressive challengers break through in New York and Colorado. Five Democratic House incumbents have already been shown the door. Party leaders are watching nervously. Their concern is that Republicans will seize on those wins to blur the lines between progressives and moderates, turning every Democrat in a competitive state into a stand-in for the party’s most unapologetic activists. Is the party genuinely rebuilding itself or are progressives dooming the Dems for what could have been a midterm rout. USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page joins The Excerpt to share her insights.
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