A longtime Democratic operative who spent decades raising money and organizing support for the party’s candidates is publicly breaking with his party over its direction, warning that national leadership is failing to confront what he calls an increasingly radical faction within Democratic ranks.
Julian Epstein, who worked for years backing Democratic House and Senate candidates, announced he will personally support and donate to Republican Mike Rogers over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s Senate race this fall. He is also encouraging other Democrats to follow his lead.
Michigan Democrats selected El-Sayed as their U.S. Senate nominee last week, a decision that Epstein views as symptomatic of deeper problems within the party. In explaining his concerns, Epstein invoked President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address: “In the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.” For Epstein, the quote serves as a warning about a party that he believes has accommodated extremist voices rather than challenging them.
Criticism of Party Leadership
Epstein directs much of his criticism at national Democratic leaders who he believes have been too quick to appease radical elements within the party instead of standing firm. He credits Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania as one of the few Democrats willing to push back against the party’s leftward drift.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York receives no such praise. Epstein dismisses Schumer’s frequent characterization of Democrats as a “big-tent party” as an empty clichΓ© that allows the leader to avoid accountability for the party’s ideological shift.
According to Epstein, the movement gaining influence within the party represents what he calls a “nihilistic, deconstructionist” ideology that goes well beyond traditional Scandinavian-style social democracy. He describes an agenda that includes calls to eliminate prisons, policing, borders, the Senate, the presidency, the Supreme Court, and free markets.
Tracing the Party’s Leftward Shift
Epstein traces the Democratic Party’s current troubles to 2024, when he argues Democrats positioned themselves too far left of the median voter and suffered electoral losses as a result. He now wants party leaders to acknowledge that what he terms “post-modern liberalism” is not delivering results.
As evidence, Epstein points to New York City’s public schools, which spend more than $40,000 per student annually while many students fail to meet grade-level standards in reading and math. He argues this demonstrates that increased spending on social programs has not produced promised outcomes. According to Epstein, identity-focused politics fosters a victim mentality, and Democrats will continue losing members until the party emphasizes building and self-reliance over redistribution.
Broader Defections
Epstein is not alone in his concerns about El-Sayed’s candidacy. According to reporting from PJ Media, former Clinton pollster Mark Penn believes many Democratic voters will ultimately choose to vote Republican rather than support El-Sayed. Even Michael LaRosa, who served as press secretary to Jill Biden, has endorsed Rogers over the Democratic nominee.
The Michigan Senate race may prove a test case for whether moderate Democrats are willing to cross party lines when faced with nominees they view as too ideologically extreme. If Epstein’s predictions prove accurate, the state could become an early indicator of how much tolerance remains within the Democratic coalition for candidates on the party’s far left.
As the fall campaign approaches, Rogers is expected to focus heavily on El-Sayed’s policy positions in an effort to appeal to moderate and independent voters who may be uncomfortable with the Democratic nominee’s stances on key issues.
Source: pjmedia.com β https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2026/08/09/are-democrats-underestimating-their-socialism-problem-n4955958
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