Detroit Becomes America's First Major Socialist City and Nobody Seems to Care

Detroit just made history, and not the kind anyone should celebrate. The Motor City is now on track to become the first major American city with a congressional delegation made up entirely of Democratic Socialists of America members. Let that sink in for a moment.

State Rep. Donavan McKinney knocked off two-term incumbent Shri Thanedar in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District Democratic primary, winning 51.9% to 48.1%. McKinney is a proud DSA member and lifelong Detroiter who will almost certainly win the general election in this heavily Democratic district. His neighboring colleague? That would be Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the DSA stalwart who secured her own primary victory the same night. Together, they represent every square inch of Detroit in the U.S. House.

This isn’t some fringe development in a college town or coastal enclave. This is Detroit, a city that once symbolized American industrial might and ingenuity. Now it’s become a laboratory for an ideology that has failed spectacularly everywhere it’s been tried with any seriousness.

The Democratic Socialists of America aren’t shy about their goals. They want to fundamentally reshape American capitalism, expand government control over healthcare and industry, and implement policies that would make even progressive Democrats uncomfortable. These aren’t moderate reformers looking to tinker around the edges. They’re true believers in a system that prioritizes collective ownership over individual achievement, government planning over market innovation.

You know what’s remarkable? Detroit’s trajectory should have taught everyone the opposite lesson. The city’s decades-long decline wasn’t caused by too much capitalism or too much freedom. It resulted from poor governance, corrupt political machines, and policies that chased away businesses and productive citizens. The very things that hollowed out Detroit are now being packaged as solutions by politicians who promise to do it all over again, just with better intentions this time.

McKinney’s victory over Thanedar is particularly telling. Thanedar, for all his progressive credentials, was apparently not left enough for Detroit’s Democratic primary voters. The ideological ratchet only turns one direction in some places, and Detroit seems determined to test how far it can go.

The neighboring districts tell the whole story. The 13th covers most of Detroit plus Taylor, Romulus, Highland Park, Hamtramck and the Grosse Pointes. The 12th includes the rest of the city, Dearborn, and nearby suburbs. These aren’t small constituencies. We’re talking about representing hundreds of thousands of people, and soon both seats will be held by members of an organization that explicitly rejects the economic system that built America into the world’s most prosperous nation.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth that most mainstream outlets won’t tell you. Socialism doesn’t work because it can’t work. It misunderstands human nature, ignores economic reality, and concentrates power in ways that inevitably lead to corruption and decline. Detroit’s experiment with DSA representation isn’t bold or progressive. It’s predictable and sad.

The real question is whether other cities will follow Detroit’s lead or learn from its mistakes. Right now, the smart money isn’t on wisdom winning out.

Detroit Becomes America’s First Major Socialist City and Nobody Seems to Care