Everywhere you look, the American capitalist class faces the limitations of its power and the growing anger of the masses. Hatred of capitalism is expressing itself, albeit in a distorted manner, in this year’s primary elections. 

Candidates who identify as “democratic socialists” have defeated establishment Democrats across the country, as have many “populist” candidates. Angie Nixon and N’Kiyla Thomas, winners of the Democratic nominations for the US Senate from Florida and Oklahoma, are only the latest examples. As of August 19, at least 123 DSA-backed candidates have won primaries for local, state, or federal office. 

In Washington state last month, there was an even clearer expression of the ongoing movement to the political left. 

Revolutionary socialist Kshama Sawant, a former Seattle City councilor, came in third place among five candidates in Washington’s 9th congressional district. She ran completely independently of the two capitalist parties and her radical program included demands for nationwide rent control, a $25 an hour minimum wage, and the cancellation of all student and medical debt. 

With over 17% of the vote, Sawant trailed the Trumpist Republican by just 4.6%—a humiliating result for MAGA. 

Meanwhile, 30-year incumbent Democrat Adam Smith, who practically lived on liberal cable outlet MSNOW in the run up to the election, received 67,095 votes to Sawant’s 24,583.  Her vote total was an incredible 37% of his, despite a near-total media blackout against her campaign. 

What’s more, Sawant’s political organization is minuscule, while the Democrats and Republicans have tons of cash to buy media time and voter support. Most of the 9th was not part of her old city council district, so the votes she gained were largely from a fresh electorate. 

Sawant’s results and the votes for self-proclaimed socialists in Democrat primaries show the enormous potential to build support for revolutionary socialist—i.e., communist—ideas. 

What is needed, now more than ever, is a mass communist party. In addition to other tactics, a mass party could run candidates everywhere, using elections and elected offices to expose the capitalist system and build support among the working class. The RCA is building this party to organize and lead the struggle to overthrow the capitalists’ sick and decaying system.