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How many DSA members currently serve in the US Congress?

Checked on November 9, 2025
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Executive Summary

The available analyses present conflicting counts of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) members in the U.S. Congress, with sources claiming four members in January 2021, two members after December 2024, and at least five in an undated report. Because the supplied materials span different dates and include outdated or partisan pieces, the precise number serving as of November 9, 2025 cannot be confirmed from these sources alone; the evidence supports a plausible range of two to five DSA-affiliated members but not a definitive current tally [1] [2] [3].

1. Early-2021 Snapshot: A high-water mark remembered — four DSA members cited

One analysis explicitly identifies Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, and Jamaal Bowman as DSA members in the U.S. Congress as of January 11, 2021, presenting that quartet as the organization’s congressional representation at the start of the 117th Congress. That statement is time-stamped and reflects membership at that historical moment, which several later analyses suggest changed due to subsequent elections and primaries. Because this source is anchored to an early-2021 publication date, it functions as a clear historical data point but not a current count; using it to assert a 2025 total would conflate different electoral cycles [1].

2. A late-2024 reassessment: Two remaining DSA-endorsed congressmembers claimed

A December 11, 2024 analysis asserts that only two DSA-endorsed members—Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—remained in Congress, noting primary defeats for Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush. This source supplies a more recent snapshot and implies attrition of earlier DSA congressional representation through electoral turnover. If taken at face value, it narrows the count significantly compared with the 2021 snapshot, showing how electoral volatility altered the organization’s footprint on Capitol Hill. The date makes it the most recent dated claim in the provided set, but it still predates the user’s target date, leaving open subsequent changes [2].

3. Conflicting undated claims: At least five DSA members cited in another account

One undated analysis reports at least five DSA members in Congress, listing Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Cori Bush, and Greg Casar as examples tied by voting behavior on a China resolution. The lack of publication date undermines the claim’s temporal reliability; it could describe a moment prior to electoral defeats or be selective in classifying members as DSA. This piece also comes from a source with ideological leanings that may frame the group’s role in specific legislative actions, so its aim appears to emphasize unity across ideological lines rather than provide a neutral roster. Use of such partisan framing requires cross-checking with dated, neutral records for accuracy [3].

4. Organizational overviews and secondary counts: broader numbers but not a clear congressional tally

Other materials note larger tallies of DSA-affiliated elected officials—over 250 in total public office according to one organizational overview—but they do not isolate the count specifically for the U.S. Congress. These summaries are useful for understanding DSA’s growth and local-to-state penetration, yet they do not resolve the congressional headcount question. Several of these sources are undated or focused on organizational influence rather than an itemized roster of federal legislators, meaning they provide context on scale but not the specific answer requested [4] [5].

5. Reconciling contradictions and what can be reliably concluded today

The supplied analyses collectively establish that DSA congressional representation has fluctuated between at least two and possibly five members during the 2021–2024 period, with a documented four-member presence in January 2021 and a dated claim of two members surviving as of December 2024. The conflicting undated claim of five highlights classification differences and partisan framing. From these materials alone, the only defensible conclusion is that the exact number serving on November 9, 2025 cannot be determined; the most recent dated source points to two members, but that may not reflect any 2025 changes. For a definitive, current count, consult up-to-date congressional membership rosters or DSA’s official filings published after December 2024. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Want to dive deeper?
Who are the current DSA members serving in the US House of Representatives?
What is the history of DSA's influence in US congressional elections?
How many DSA members were in Congress before the 2024 elections?
What policies do DSA members in Congress advocate for?
Has the number of DSA-aligned politicians grown in recent years?