Socialists have 'no shot whatsoever' at presidency in 2028: Joe Concha
Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha firmly asserted that he does not believe a socialist will win the presidential election in 2028, saying there is “no shot whatsoever” of that happening.
Despite various socialist candidates securing the Democratic nominations in primaries across the country, Concha said left-wing candidates are successful only in blue states or cities, adding that voters in battleground states will see that progressive campaign promises aren’t feasible.
“In New York City, you can get elected, sure,” Concha said on Fox Business’s Varney & Co. on Monday. “But if you’re going to go to places like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, those swing states that decide elections, I don’t think that a socialist can get elected in those places.”
Concha’s prediction comes after socialist candidates across the country have gained momentum by winning primary elections, fueling speculation on the direction the Democratic Party is taking ahead of the 2026 elections and the 2028 presidential election.
Last week, three socialist candidates whom New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed won their primaries.
Concha explained that a socialist won’t become president in 2028 because far-left candidates such as Mamdani struggle to explain to voters how they will fund their progressive campaign promises, including free childcare and buses.
“What Zohran Mamdani never explains is how do you pay for all the free stuff you are offering that sounds so good on paper?” Concha said. “And that has yet to be seen. We have yet to see one government-run grocery store be opened in New York.”
“They can campaign and make all these promises; the problem is they can’t deliver on them, and I think enough people in swing states, independent-minded voters, know that,” Concha said.
While Concha didn’t discuss far-left candidates who might launch a White House bid in 2028, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is a progressive candidate who some hope will run for president in 2028.
Ocasio-Cortez has not launched a campaign, but she has left the door open to a Senate or presidential campaign in 2028. When pressed about her political ambitions, Ocasio-Cortez dodges the question.
Concha also noted how accusations of antisemitism are another hurdle socialist candidates face in getting elected to the White House.
“The antisemitism isn’t a very good brand to push forward either as well, and that’s what democratic socialist are absolutely marinated in at this point,” Concha said.