Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said the Democratic Party should continue welcoming a broad range of political factions, including members of the Democratic Socialists of America, arguing that electoral success depends on expanding the party’s coalition rather than pushing groups away.

Martin addressed the DSA during an interview with Peter Alexander on MS NOW, where he was asked whether the socialist organization has become an electoral asset or a liability for Democrats as Republicans increasingly seek to associate the broader party with its policies.

"DSA, Democratic Socialists, are an ally or a liability for the Democrats, as you’ve seen the way they’ve been branded, this party’s being branded by Republican opponents?” Alexander asked Martin in an interview.

Martin responded by pointing to the political approach he used during his years in Minnesota, saying he has consistently favored bringing more groups and voters into the Democratic coalition.

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“So let me just say, I’ve always taken a big tent approach on how you build a party. That’s why I was successful for all these years in Minnesota. I believe you win through addition, not subtraction. You win by growing your coalition, not shrinking it," Martin replied.

Alexander attempted to press Martin on whether there are limits to that philosophy when considering where most American voters fall politically.

Alexander said that "sometimes is there a middle, though, when Americans see that–”

Martin interrupted and rejected the idea that expanding the party’s coalition means abandoning voters closer to the political center.

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“But no, not at all, because that’s where the vast majority of Americans are at. Maybe right in the middle, or a little center left, or a little center right. But it doesn’t mean we can’t bring new voices into the party, right? Of course, we have to keep growing, and we have to keep expanding this tent."

Alexander then concluded the interview, saying, "Thank you for coming on."

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The exchange comes as the Democratic Socialists of America continues to increase its visibility inside Democratic politics. The organization traces its roots to the 1980s but became substantially more prominent in national political discussions in recent years, particularly during the presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders and as DSA-backed candidates began winning elected office.

The organization has promoted policies well to the left of the traditional American political center, including abolishing the police and abolishing the Senate. The DSA has also supported a government-run health care system and open-border immigration policies.

Those positions have given Republicans an opportunity to argue that the Democratic Party is increasingly influenced by socialist activists, particularly as DSA-endorsed candidates compete for congressional seats.

Several candidates in upcoming midterm elections have received DSA backing, including Claire Valdez in New York’s 7th Congressional District, Daraliza Avila Chevalier in New York’s 13th Congressional District, Melat Kiros in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District and Donovan McKinny in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District.

Martin’s comments indicate that the DNC chairman does not believe the answer to Republican criticism is to distance the national party from socialist activists or candidates. Instead, he argued that Democrats can maintain support among moderate voters while simultaneously bringing additional ideological factions into the coalition.

His “big tent” argument rests on the premise that political parties grow by adding constituencies rather than excluding them. Martin presented his experience in Minnesota as evidence that such an approach can succeed.

The question for Democrats heading into the midterms is how that strategy will work as Republicans continue highlighting the DSA’s policy agenda and attempting to tie Democratic candidates to some of the organization’s most controversial positions.

Alexander’s questioning raised precisely that issue: whether there is a point at which embracing additional factions creates political problems among voters in the center.

Martin’s answer was clear. He maintained that Democrats do not have to choose between centrist voters and activists further to the left.

For the DNC chairman, the strategy remains expansion.

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