CNN’s Harry Enten: While the far left is significantly more powerful in the Dem party, top voters ever say the party is ‘too liberal’ (video) | The Gateway Expert | by Margaret Flavin

CNN’s Senior Data Reporter, Harry Enten, shared what most Americans already know: the Democratic Party has become “too liberal.”

Enten notes that a record high of 58% of voters believe the Democratic Party is too liberal, even though 1 in 3 Democrats consider themselves Democratic Socialists.

Harry Enten: I think the results of that special election, that Democratic primary in New Jersey’s 11th District, speaks to a larger point within the Democratic Party, which is that the far left is significantly more powerful than they ever were.

This gives the game away here. Democrats who identify as very liberal or conservative. You know, there used to be a lot of conservative Democrats. In 1999, 26% of Democrats called themselves conservatives. Only 5% said they were very liberal. It was a smidgen, a smidgen, a smidgen.

Now the far left has gained significant power.

Take a look at this. Now we’re talking about a fifth of Democrats; 21% say they are very liberal. That conservative part of the Democratic Party, adios amigos, goodbye… only 8%.

When you combine the 21% who are very liberal with those who say they are somewhat liberal, we’re talking about three in five Democrats who identify as somewhat liberal or very liberal with the very liberal, but a much larger portion of the party, on the far left, which used to be only slightly within the Democratic Party, has gained significant power, as you saw in New Jersey’s 11th District.

Kate Bolduan: What about the democratic socialists? You have Bernie Sanders or Zora Mandani here in New York City. Where does that correspond?

Harry Enten: Okay, so on a separate question, which essentially, you asked CNN this last year, which was, okay, Democrats who consider themselves democratic socialists among all Democrats, including independents who lean toward the Democratic Party.

Take a look at this. We’re talking about a third, a third of all Democrats who identify as democratic socialists. Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mandani are not alone. They currently form a significant part of the democratic base.

And in fact, if you look at Democrats under the age of 35, they are almost half, almost half of the Democratic Party.

Take a look at this. 42% of Democrats consider themselves democratic socialists under the age of 35, just like Zohran Mandani. What happened in New York City is not an anomaly. It’s not something that just happened in New York City.

It’s something we’re seeing growing within the Democratic Party at this particular moment, when we’re talking about 42% of Democrats under the age of 35 identifying as Democratic Socialist, and a third of all Democrats. My goodness.

Kate Bolduan: So if the ideology of the Democratic Party is shifting or changing, what do people think about that?

Harry Enten: Okay, so we’re talking about the Democratic base, right? But what about all Americans, right? What about all voters? Voters saying Democrats are too liberal now?

Look at this percentage. In ’96 that was 42%, in 2013 48%.

Now in 2025, 58% of all voters say the Democratic Party is too liberal.

The Democrats are moving left, the far left is gaining power, and there could be some electoral fallout because what we’re seeing now is voters, the clear majority, saying they’re too liberal.

Watch:

An all-time high: 58% of voters say the Dem party is too liberal.

This is because 1 in 3 Democrats consider themselves democratic socialists!

And the percentage of Democrats who say they are very liberal has quadrupled since 1999.

NJ-11, Mayor of New York and Bernie Sanders are not an aberration. pic.twitter.com/J0xuskHgn6

— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) February 12, 2026